ARTS & CULTURE

Call to Artists

County Parks issues Calls to Artists for a variety of arts opportunities throughout the year. Calls are for public art in County Parks, County-owned buildings, and other public spaces. View opportunities and review past projects below!
 
 

Floral Park

An artist will be selected to create a site-specific public art component for Floral Park, located at 656 38th Ave. in Santa Cruz. Many elements of the 90s-era play structure are no longer functional, and its sand surface makes it inaccessible to park visitors with mobility issues. County Park Friends led a recent effort to raise funds from the community to replace the play structure and surface. The County approved additional funds to make the upgrades possible, which include a new playground structure and rubberized surfacing, which will increase accessibility for people who use wheelchairs. The proximity of the park to the iconic Pleasure Point tide pools inspired the playground's design concept, which was selected by the community during the outreach process.   

Proposals are due by October 18, 2024.

  

Hidden Beach

An artist will be selected to create a site-specific public artwork for the new restroom building at Hidden Beach County Park in Aptos,California. The proposed site-specific artwork should enhance the experience of park and beach visitors of all ages. Proposals must address the exterior walls of the restroom building with a mural, mosaic, or low-relief sculpture. Dimensions provided in links below.  In addition, artists may choose to propose additional, related, wayfinding artwork along the pathway that connects the restroom building to the beach; pathway overview and potential locaitons provided in link below.  All proposal imagery must reflect the coastal setting..  

Proposals are due by Novermber 8, 2024.

 

 

Previous Call to Artist Opportunities

Sobering Center

Bruce Harman was selected to create a site-specific public art component for the Recovery Center in Santa Cruz, located at 265 Water Street. Janus of Santa Cruz will operate and staff the center, providing a safe environment for non-violent intoxicated individuals to rest and recover until they are sober.  Additionally, the Recovery Center will provide assistance and treatment options, as well as links to other services in the community such as case managers, health care physicians and more.  

 

Children's Crisis Stabilization Center

Joey Rose was selected to create a site-specific public art component for the Children's Crisis Stabilization Center in Santa Cruz Country.  Located off Highway 1 at southeast corner of Soquel Avenue and Chanticleer Avenue on the Sheriff’s Public Safety Center campus, an existing 30,220 SF commercial building will be redesigned and renovated to include a Children’s Crisis Stabilization Unit (1st floor) and a Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program (2nd floor). The facility will be operated by the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency. Proposals were by July 14, 2023 and are no longer being accepted.

Ben Lomond Transfer Station

An artist will be selected to create a site-specific public art component for the Ben Lomond Transfer Station in Santa Cruz County. The thirty-year-old Transfer Station facility is in need of repairs and renovations to maintain safety, manage stormwater, and provide improved service.  The renovation project includes installing a larger metal canopy over the hazardous household waste area, installing a new canopy over the recycling area, upgrades to the electrical systems, and installing an overhead directional sign at the scale house. Proposals were due by July 14, 2023 and are no longer being accepted.

 

Green Valley Multi-Use Pathway

Bruce Harman was selected to create a site-specific public art component for a location or locations along the 2-mile pathway.  The Green Valley Road Multi-Use Trail Improvements Project will replace a dilapidated pedestrian trail with a pervious, two-way, multi-use trail to provide a safe, accessible connection between the City of Watsonville and unincorporated areas of Santa Cruz County to nearby schools, parks, social services, and numerous transit stops.  

Outside the Box

"Outside the Box" - Traffic Controller Box Art Program Santa Cruz County Department of Parks, Open Spaces & Cultural Services is seeking artists to participate in the Outside the Box public art program, in which selected artists paint a mural on traffic signal controller boxes.  Artists must reside in the County of Santa Cruz and may submit a proposal for one or more of the boxes listed below.  Please click here for a Call to Artists, which provides information regarding payment, what to submit in your proposal, and other relevant information.

Type 332 Cabinet Dimensions and Type P Cabinet Dimensions

Questions?  Please email prc039@scparks.com

Please visit our Outside the Box page to view boxes painted by artists in previous phases.

Recently Completed Projects

Westridge Drive

Jay Capela was selected to create a site-specific public art component for the new South County Government Center in Watsonville, Santa Cruz  Country.   The County of Santa Cruz acquired 500 Westridge Drive in October of 2021 in order to implement numerous recommendations in the County’s Long-Range Facilities Plan, including enhancing equitable access to County services in South County.  

Seacliff Village County Park Bathroom Building

In 2020, local Santa Cruz artist Anastasiya Bachmanova completed her mural on the recently installed bathroom building at Seacliff Village County Park!

Aptos Branch Library

The sun shines through bejeweled steel and glass sculptural panels created by artist Lea de Wit for the Aptos Public Library. The colorful imagery was inspired by the sea to redwoods themes, central to the library design and meaningful to the Aptos community. The Aptos Library reopened on February 14th, 2024 after undergoing renovatons funded by Measure S. PDF

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