Harvey Milk Plaza Improvements Project Public Art Opportunity: Request for Qualifications

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Application deadline: June 15, 2026, 11:59 PM PSTSubmit your application

Land Acknowledgment

The San Francisco Arts Commission acknowledges that we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone. We affirm the sovereign rights of their community as First Peoples and are committed to supporting the traditional and contemporary evolution of the American Indian community and uplifting contemporary indigenous voices.

Racial Equity Statement

The San Francisco Arts Commission is committed to creating a city where all artists and cultural workers have the freedom, resources and platform to share their stories, art and culture and where race does not predetermine one’s success in life. We also acknowledge that we occupy traditional and unceded Ohlone land. Fueled by these beliefs, we commit to addressing the systemic inequities within our agency, the City and County of San Francisco and the broader arts and culture sector. This work requires that we focus on race as we confront inequities of the past, reveal inequities of the present and develop effective strategies to move all of us towards an equitable future. 

How To Apply

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About

PROJECT SUMMARY AND BUDGET

The San Francisco Arts Commission invites artists and artist teams residing in the United States to submit qualifications for Harvey Milk Plaza Improvements Project Public Art Opportunity. Located on the Concourse Level of the Castro Muni Station, the Gallery East Art Wall Artwork will measure approximately 8’ ft. high x 18 ft. wide (144 sq. ft.) and will be comprised of a durable material, such as mosaic or digitally printed ceramic tile.

The budget for artwork is anticipated to be $128,000 and may be adjusted based on changes to the design of the project site or other project parameters. The budget is inclusive of all artist’s fees, as well as associated expenses for design, fabrication, insurance, transportation and consultation during installation. An installation allocation of $16,000 will be managed by SFAC under a separate contract.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligibility is open to professional, practicing artists who reside in the United States. Entries not meeting eligibility guidelines will be withdrawn from consideration.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Located in the heart of San Francisco’s Castro district, Harvey Milk Plaza aims to celebrate Harvey Milk’s life’s work of inclusivity and honor his mission of greater social justice. With advocacy and significant engagement from the local community, the redesigned plaza will provide space that promotes visibility for all marginalized people and offer a platform for future activism. The new Harvey Milk Plaza will welcome, represent, and celebrate all visitors as their authentic selves, honor past activism, and provide a focal point for organizing ongoing social engagement.

The goals of the project include:

Honor the values and legacy of Harvey Milk.
Celebrate the history of activism in San Francisco.
Reflect the history and culture of the Castro District and Queer Community.
Visually enhance and complement the Harvey Milk Plaza and Castro Muni Station

ARTIST SELECTION PROCESS

Artist Qualification Panel: The applications will be reviewed by an Artist Qualification Panel consisting of representatives from Arts Commission staff and two arts professionals to identify a list of the most qualified artists to be considered for the project opportunity.

Artist Review Panel: This list of the most qualified artists will be evaluated by an Artist Review Panel consisting of a representative of the client agency, three arts professionals, and a local community member. After considering the artists’ qualifications, the Artist Review Panel will identify finalists. The finalists will be invited to develop conceptual proposals after attending an orientation session with the project team and key stakeholders. Each finalist will be paid an honorarium of $3,000 for development of a conceptual design proposal, plus the reimbursement of reasonable travel expenses, approved by the Arts Commission prior to travel arrangements being made for the orientation and panel interview.

The proposals shall be displayed at Harvey Milk Plaza/Castro Muni Station and posted on the Arts Commission website for written public comment prior to the final review panel meeting.

The Artist Review Panel will reconvene to consider the finalists’ concepts in an interview format, along with any community input, and will recommend one artist for the project to the Arts Commission.

Arts Commission Approval: The Artist Review Panel’s recommendation will be submitted first to the Visual Arts Committee (VAC), a subcommittee of the Arts Commission and then to the full Arts Commission for approval. All Artist Review Panel recommendations are subject to the recommendation of the Visual Arts Committee and approval by the Full Arts Commission.

All Arts Commission meetings and Public Art Review Panel meetings are open to the public and are posted on the Arts Commission website at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting. To check the meeting schedule for public art projects, please go to our calendar.

ARTIST SELECTION CONSIDERATIONS

Criteria to be used when scoring an artist’s application for a commission or for acquisition of an artwork by purchase or commission shall include, but not be limited to, the considerations below. Per City contracting requirements, artist applicants who are registered as a Local Business Enterprise will be given a rating bonus of 10% relative to other applicants.

· Artistic Merit: Artistic Merit may be judged by such measures as originality of concept and artistic vision; the degree to which the work engages the viewer emotionally, intellectually, spiritually; the quality of craftsmanship or mastery of skills and techniques. Artistic merit may also be credited to artwork that reflects a significant or direct relationship between the artist and distinct racial or cultural communities.

· Relevant Skills & Experience: Review Panels and the Commission shall consider the assessed ability of an artist to successfully implement a proposed project, such as the ability to work constructively with other project stakeholders, meet deadlines, willingness to resolve issues as they arise, and generally manage the demands of the project. Cultural competency and/or significant connection between the artist and the project constituency, or experience that may particularly qualify an artist to meet project goals may also be considered.

· Meet Project Goals: The proposed artwork (or the assessed ability of an artist to design a proposal) meets the specific goals of the project as defined in this RFQ and in the Project Plan approved by the Commission.

· The Artwork is Appropriate to the Site: The artwork or proposed artwork is appropriate for its intended display location in terms of scale, media, design or imagery and is judged to be relevant within the context of the surrounding community, and is compatible with the mission and operations of the client department.

· Feasibility, maintainability: The proposed artwork shall be evaluated relative to their feasibility and evidence of the artist’s ability to successfully complete the work as proposed. Factors to be considered include, but are not limited to: project budget, timeline, and the artist’s experience. Due consideration shall be given to the structural and surface soundness, and to inherent resistance to theft, vandalism and weathering, and to the cost and amount of ongoing maintenance and/or repair anticipated.

· Contributes to the Quality of the Civic Art Collection: The artwork or proposed artwork is judged to support and improve the City’s collection in terms of artistic quality and diversity of artists represented. The Arts Commission is committed to acquiring artworks that reflect diversity in style, scale, media, and artistic sources as well as diverse cultural communities and perspectives. The Arts Commission also encourages exploratory types of work as well as established art forms.

· Public Safety and Accessibility: The artwork or proposed artwork shall be evaluated to ensure that it does not present a hazard to public safety and complies Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and with all other applicable building codes.

· Duplication: Artists will be asked to represent and warrant, as a condition of their agreement with the City, that the artwork commissioned or purchased is unique and an edition of one, and shall not be duplicated unless it is part of a limited edition or otherwise stated to the contrary in the artist’s contract with the Commission.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications are available through SlideRoom, an online application system for calls for entry. There is no charge to artists for using SlideRoom. Please be sure to allow adequate time to submit your application as technical difficulties can occur. Applications that are mailed, emailed, faxed, or hand-delivered will not be considered.

Applications will not be accepted after the JUNE 15, 11:59 p.m. (PDT) deadline.

Application materials include:

1. Responses to Letter of Interest Questions

Describe your artistic focus, career highlights, experience and qualifications, and particular interest in this project. Do not make a specific proposal for a new commission.
Describe your skills and experience that are relevant to the needs and goals of this project.
Address your meaningful connection to the Castro Community, Bay Area Activism and Social Justice, and/or San Francisco Queer History and Culture.

2. Resume

25,000 characters maximum.
If you are applying as a team, please include your team/studio resume. If that is not available, please combine the individual resumes (one right after the other) of each team member into one document.

3. 10 images of previous work

SlideRoom accepts all image file types up to 5MB. Images should at least 72 dpi and no larger than 1280 x 1280 pixels.
For team applications, please indicate the lead artist for each project.
For more information on working with media and your portfolio, click here.

4. Image descriptions

When you upload your images, SlideRoom will prompt you to fill out image descriptions. Please include the title, medium, dimensions, and year for each work. You may also include a brief statement (2 sentences maximum) about each work.

Check out our "How to Apply to Calls" for helpful tips on how to submit the most competitive application.

Please note that Arts Commission staff will be available to answer questions about this call until 5 p.m. (PDT) on the deadline date, Monday, June 15, 2026. Please contact Paris Cotz at paris.cotz@sfgov.org, or 415-539-6213.

SlideRoom technical support is available Monday – Saturday by email, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. (CDT) support@slideroom.com.