Ketchikan area Artists and Creatives have been inspiring the communities of this area since the beginning. Whether it is beautifully engineered and created halibut hooks, or the magnificent totem poles of the area, to the stories, poetry and drawings for the inception of the Alaska Magazine, to the creation and evolution of Wearable Art in Alaska artists continue to make the world we live in meaningful and joyful.
Happy Valley Call to Artists Sculpture Exhibits
Deadline: Applications due by March 31, 2025
Eligibility: Open to artists residing in AK, CA, ID, OR, and WA
Background:
Happy Valley is a thriving, multicultural community of 27,500 neighbors. Our beautiful nature areas, safe neighborhoods, and vibrant business community make our town a wonderful place to call home. The Happy Valley Sculpture Garden provides a
mechanism for integrating outdoor art into public spaces, promoting public participation and interaction with artists and artwork, and preserving the local cultural environment and livability. We have expanded this year’s Sculpture Garden displays
with two additional sites at the newly-expanded library. The Happy Valley Public Art Committee seeks up to eight artists to display sculptures in the July 2025 through June 2027 Sculpture Garden Exhibits. Submissions may include proposed, partially, or fully completed sculptures.
Benefits:
•$1,000 honorarium per sculpture exhibited
• Promotion on Webpage, including Artist Profile
• City may promote art as “for sale” during exhibition
• Installation/de-installation services, interpretative signage and photography provided
Equity & Artist Eligibility
The Art Committee seeks to exhibit artwork through inclusive processes. Applications are welcomed from people of all backgrounds, abilities, and disabilities. Students, emerging artists, and artists from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and other historically underrepresented communities are strongly encouraged to apply. This exhibition opportunity is open to artists residing in Alaska, California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Artists must transport sculptures to and from the City at their own cost.
How to Apply
To submit your artwork, an online application must be completed through the website CaFE. Up to four
sculptures may be submitted per application. First time users of CaFE will be prompted to create an account.
When developing your application, please provide:
• Artist contact information
• Sculpture information, including sculpture dimensions, base dimensions, weight, materials used, and a short description
• At least one image per sculpture submitted. Images should accurately represent a sculpture in scale, media and color. Images must be in digital form
• Market value of each sculpture
• Optional: Demographic information, Resume/CV A video tutorial is available to assist you in completing an application. In this tutorial, program staff completes a sample application and explains the submission process. The City may assist in language translation and accept non-digital applications by request.
Selection Criteria
Artwork will be selected by the Happy Valley Public Art Committee based on locational context, artistic merit, maintainability, and size/weight criteria. Proposed, partially completed and fully completed artworks may be considered. Accessibility restrictions will be considered in reviewing sculptures.
Technical Specifications
Sculptures must be of suitable scale for outdoor public art and compatible with provided display pads:
• Artwork must be freestanding and cannot exceed 10 ft tall. Sculptures exceeding 1,000 lbs. will be assessed based on City’s ability to install without requiring special equipment.
• Sculptures must require minimal maintenance and withstand the effects of weather, be as resistant as possible to vandalism, and must not impede pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
• Sculptures must be fitted, before delivery, with a ¼-inch (minimum) steel plate - ranging in size of 24 – 28 inches in diameter. Concrete pads, with a 30-inch steel plate for welding sculpture to pad, are provided by the City for the display of each sculpture.
Selection Criteria
Thank you for your application! Submissions will undergo a staff technical review and be paneled by the Art Committee in April. Applicants will be notified of selection the week of April 21, 2025.
• Selected artists will enter into a two-year lease agreement with the City. Artists selected for partial and concept sculptures will also submit a timeline for completion, as well as progress updates. Artwork must be completed by June 1, 2025.
• Sculptures must be ready for exhibition and installation on or about July 1,2025. Artwork that cannot be installed by the installation deadline will be disqualified.
• Artists will deliver sculptures and be present during installation/de-installation. The City will provide a welder and crane to perform installation services. Note: The City reserves the ability to decline art that differs from selected work or does not meet standards of durability, safety, and quality. The City will insure exhibited artwork against damages while on display.
