Artist Materials Government Bids & RFPs

The bid notice states that proposals must be received by the city of Bismarck no later than 5:00 p. m. CST on May 1, 2026. Proposals received after this deadline will not be accepted.

The bid notice states that the following criteria will be used to evaluate all proposals fairly: Project Theme (30%), Community Connection (30%), Narrative (30%), and Originality (10%).

The bid notice states that this call for artists is open to artists or groups of artists that are residents of Bismarck, employed in Bismarck, or any other North Dakota artist. Submissions by novice and professional artists will be accepted. Previous experience working on public art projects is not necessary. Entrants under 18 years of age must have parental or guardian permission to submit.

The bid notice states that only digital versions of the art should be provided. No physical artwork needs to be provided.

The bid notice states that the deadline for questions is April 17, 2026, at 5:00 p. m. CST.

The deadline for submitting RFQ applications is April 16, 2026, at 2:00 PM Central Time. The city will not accept late applications.

Finalists are eligible for a $2,000 honorarium for design, presentation, and site visit costs, paid in two installments. Artists selected for design development can receive up to 10% of their total proposed budget, not exceeding $20,000, to cover design finalization and engineering plans. This advance payment will be deducted from the total project budget if the proposal proceeds to fabrication.

The artist will be required to guarantee, maintain, and remedy, at their own cost, any defects or faults in workmanship or materials that appear within a period of ten (10) years from the date of final acceptance of the artwork by the city.

Phase I RFQ selection criteria include artistic merit (40%), quality of completed projects (20%), experience (15%), alignment with the master plan (15%), community engagement/mentorship (5%), and local vendor preference (5%). Phase II criteria focus on artistic merit of the design (30%), content impact (20%), site specificity (20%), feasibility (10%), budget (10%), and community engagement/mentorship (5%), and local vendor preference (5%).

Applicants must be professional artists, artist teams, architects, or landscape architects who have not previously been selected for a City of Madison percent for art project. They should have experience completing major outdoor public artwork and integrating art into public sites. Art consultants are not eligible unless applying on behalf of an identified artist or team.

A mandatory in-person tour, orientation, and site visit is scheduled for Monday, June 15, 2026.

Applicants must submit 10 work samples representing previously completed projects that are relevant to the call. Images must be in JPG format, with specific resolution, DPI, compression, and file size limitations.

The deadline for questions is Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at 2:00 PM Central Time. Answers will be posted as an addendum by Wednesday, April 8, 2026.

The estimated budget for individual artworks ranges from $100,000 to $750,000. The total estimated value for the project is not explicitly stated but is informed by the potential range for individual works.

The bid notice states that the deadline for Q&A is 02/13/2026 at 3:00 PM PST.

The bid notice states delivery quoted must be stated in terms of work days after receipt of the order.

The bid notice states lowest and best bidder under chapter 181 c. o.