CALL TO ARTISTS
City of Allen – Allen Event Center Rotunda Public Art Project
Please visit CityofAllen.org/calltoartists for complete details!
Project Summary
The City of Allen and the Allen Public Art Committee seek to commission site-specific artwork for
the entry rotunda at Allen Event Center that will engage citizens as well as those who visit the
facility to attend a wide array of concerts, sporting events and other community activities. Artists
or artist teams are invited to submit qualifications and concept designs for project scope to include
design, fabrication and installation of artistic elements that comprise a signature art installation
not only for the building but for the Allen community.
Project Background
Allen, Texas (population exceeding 102,000) is located in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, 15
miles north of Dallas. Once a very small, agricultural based community, Allen experienced doubledigit
growth during the late 1990s through the mid-2000s. Allen now boasts substantial retail
developments, a regional convention center, multiple hotels, and a sports and entertainment
venue. Allen is considered a highly desirable city in which to live due to its exemplary schools and
outstanding community amenities, and was voted #2 in best places to live by Money magazine in
2017.
Owned and operated by the City of Allen, Allen Event Center is a 6,500-seat venue with the ability
to transform from an exhilarating full-house concert to a professional hockey arena. Allen Event
Center is the perfect setting for concerts with amazing acoustics in an intimate setting where
artists can connect with fans. The facility is also home to two professional sports franchises, the
Allen Americans Hockey Club and Dallas Sidekicks Indoor Soccer Team, as well as other
collegiate and amateur tournaments. In addition, the venue hosts a number of cultural events,
trade shows and community activities. During a typical year, the venue hosts 250+ events and
more than 350,000 guests. Guest demographics are heavily comprised of college educated (or
higher) individuals with an annual household income of $125,000-$145,000.
Project Scope
The selected artist will design and fabricate a signature art installation for the Allen Event Center
Entry Rotunda, not only representative of the building but of the Allen community as well. This is
a very public venue hosting a vast array of events, drawing a wide variety of guests requiring that
the piece(s) need to have broad appeal. The installation shoulda draw the eye in daylight and at
night, both inside the building and through the glass from outside. It is important to consider that
the piece(s) will be visible from three distinct vantage points: 1) from outside the building, 2) from
the entryway below it and 3) from the second-floor balcony. The installation can be suspended
from the ceiling but additionally could be connected to wall(s) and/or have related elements in the
surrounding area however will have to maintain:
• Minimum of 16’ vertical clearance from rotunda floor
• 4’ clearance from balcony railing
• Minimum of 10” vertical clearance from balcony floor, should hang within 4’ clearance
stated above
The rotunda is circular and has a second floor balcony that opens up to the upper half of the
space. That overhang is accessible to guests on the premium suite level of the facility. The
rotunda has access limitation in terms of size of ingress points. It is enclosed at street level with
access from 18 doors, 8 interior and 10 exterior. All the doors have an approximate clearance of
95” x 45”. There may be options to bring prefabricated elements through the back of house loading
dock and using a lift to set through the premium level opening on the west side of the facility but
that may not be a process that is cost effective.
Please see the attached specifications and photos for more project details. Additionally,
building and event information can be found at alleneventcenter.com and by viewing this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHDVyuoakiQ
The City of Allen’s Public Art Committee is keenly interested in proposed works of art that may
address any or all of the following elements and with materials that are durable and subject to
low or no maintenance:
• Mesmerizing
• Timeless
• Kinetic – Keep in mind there is uncontrolled airflow through the entry rotunda when exterior
and interior doors are opened
• Multicolored Adaptable Programmable Lighting
Eligibility
This competition is open to all artists or artist teams, 18 years of age or older, working in any
medium. For the purpose of this document, an artist is defined as a professional practitioner in
the arts, generally recognized by his or her peers as possessing serious intent and ability. This is
a national call for submittals. While residency will not necessarily carry additional weight, Texasbased
artists are especially encouraged to consider this opportunity. Anticipated installation is
September – Early October 2019. Artists should consider their availability in the immediate future
when responding to this call.
Project Budget
The budget for this project is $300,000. This includes all costs related to the design,
administration, fabrication and installation of artwork. The budget is also inclusive of all required
insurance and artist travel costs associated with this project. The selected artist will be required
to meet the city’s insurance requirements.
Deadline for Submitting Application and Materials
5 p.m. CST, Friday, December 10, 2018. Applications and materials must be received by this date
and time to be considered.
Selection Process
1) An initial submission of qualifications stage, from which up to six (6) semi-finalists may be
selected based upon the materials submitted. The selection of semi-finalists will be made
by the Public Art Selection Panel
2) An initial interview stage where semi-finalists will participate in a short Skype interview
and will then be given the opportunity to ask questions specific to the project. No more
than three (3) finalists will be selected by the Public Art Selection Panel to be moved on
to the finalist conceptual design.
3) A final interview stage, during which up to three (3) finalists will be paid a $500 honorarium
to develop a conceptual design for the artwork to present to Public Art Selection Panel.
This phase may also be conducted via Skype. Should on-site interviews be necessary,
the City of Allen will reimburse the artist for pre-defined, reasonable travel expenses
related to travel to Allen, TX, for the interview. If an artist team is applying, travel expenses
will be reimbursed for one member of the team to present the project.
Submission Guidelines
While the City of Allen may have previous information on file, current information is desired.
Please visit CityofAllen.org/calltoartists for complete details!
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Jen Robinson | Support Specialist City of Allen | Parks & Recreation Department 214.509.4703
| jrobinson@cityofallen.org AllenParks.org
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