Public Art Monterey Railing Project

MONTEREY AVENUE RAILING ART PROJECT

The Art & Cultural Commission will discuss proposals in the next A&C Commission meeting on May 9. 2023 at 6:30 pm. 

SITE AND PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Capitola’s Monterey Avenue Railing Art Project is located along one the primary entry routes to
the Capitola Village. Capitola Village is located along a wide beach with a breathtaking view of
the Monterey Bay and is home to numerous craft galleries, boutiques and restaurants. It is here
where many events have taken place such as the Capitola Beach Festival, Art and Wine
Festival, Twilight Concerts, Art shows, and the Begonia Festival. In addition to these events,
Capitola beach is a popular destination spot for tourists. The railing will be visible to many
thousands of people annually entering and leaving the village.
The Monterey Avenue Railing runs along the street in a gentle slope into and out of the Capitola
Village. The railing is needed to protect pedestrians on the sidewalk from a steep retaining wall
that drops to the street. The wall is historic, with plant outcroppings, and is not part of the
project. The railing is 625 feet long and can be seen in its entirety as you drive in and out of the
Village. The art project should use the entire length of the railing and be seen as a single piece.
The railing is made up of 2” diameter galvanized steel pipe in 8ft sections. There are four
horizontal pieces 7” apart in each section, making a total of 94 sections. The railing should be
considered the platform for the art project but should not be modified with paint or drilled with
holes. The art work should be mounted on the street side of the railing, while also considering
the pedestrian view. Please see attached photos and drawings on the site.
Artists should ensure that their art meets all ADA requirements as well as local building codes
(see attached relevant codes). Pedestrian friendly aspects such as convenient hand holds,
pinch points, snag points and vandalism concerns should be considered. Materials used should
be weather resistant such as stainless steel, copper, brass, galvanized steel or rusted steel (i.e.
Core 10).

PUBLIC ART BUDGET
The public art budget project is $50,000.
The project budget includes all expenses related to the research, investigation, design, and
fabrication of the art project including but not limited to: design time and fees, design
documents, renderings and/or other media as required to communicate the artist’s concept
design development to stakeholders and approving bodies, signed and certified structural
and/or other construction/engineering drawings and specifications that may be required for
fabrication, fabrication of the artwork, transportation of materials, transportation and
accommodations for artist(s), insurance and all other project related expenses, and
maintenance of artwork. The artist will work with the City in the installation of the art project.

ARTIST ELIGIBILITY
This opportunity is open to artists working or living along the west coast of the United States in
California, Oregon and Washington. Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they have all
necessary permits to work in the United States at the time of submittal of qualifications.

SELECTION PROCESS AND EVALUATION CRITERIA
The selection process for this project has two phases:
Phase One: Review of submittals and selection of finalists
A Public Art Selection panel will review the artist qualifications and recommend selection of 1 to
4 artists for submittal of a design proposal. The panel will be comprised of Capitola Art and
Cultural Commission members, City staff and invited community members. In addition to their
qualifications, portfolio and rough cost estimates, the artists will be expected to submit 1 or more
rough draft concepts for consideration.

Phase One Selection Criteria:
Consideration of artists in the selection process will include but is not limited to the following:
 Cost value of the project
 Aesthetic appeal of concept submittal(s) to scale
 Aesthetic excellence of past projects
 Appropriateness of past concepts as they relate to this projects’ goals and setting
 Experience developing artworks in outdoor environments
 Experience in construction materials and methods appropriate to the scope of the project

Phase Two: Development and Presentation of Concept Proposals by Finalists and
Concept Proposal Selection
The selected finalists will be given feedback on their original presentation and will be asked to
prepare a detailed concept proposal for final selection consideration.
It is expected that each finalist will make a concept proposal presentation in-person to the Public
Art Selection panel (due to the social climate, a presentation via Zoom for example would be
acceptable). A stipend of $500 will be provided to the artist for a model. The concept proposal
presentation session will be scheduled to accommodate the selected finalists if possible, but
final date selection will be at the discretion of the City.
Phase Two Selection Criteria:
In addition to Phase One Selection Criteria, Phase Two Selection Criteria shall emphasize the
following:
 Appropriateness to the village atmosphere
 Creativity and innovation of design
 Pedestrian friendliness

CONTRACT
The City of Capitola will contract with the artist in a single agreement using a standard designfabrication
agreement. A prototype of this agreement will be available to the selected finalists.
Final award shall be contingent upon the selected artist accepting Terms and Conditions of the
agreements in substantial conformity to the terms listed in the prototype.
This call for artists does not constitute a guarantee that the City will hire an artist. The City may
decide at its discretion not to select any of the proposers and/or reissue the call for artists.

ANTICIPATED TIMELINE
February 14, 2023 – Art and Cultural Commission consider the release of Call to Artists
March 3, 2023 – Release of Call to Artists
May 1, 2023 – Submission Deadline
May 9, 2023 – Selection of Finalists
June 13, 2023 – Consideration of Proposals by the Commission
June 22, 2023 – Consideration of the recommended proposal by the City Council
October-November 2023 – Artwork completed/Unveiling
The Commission reserves the right to change the project timeline.

Submittal Guidelines:
1. One-page cover sheet stating the following information, in the order listed:
 Title: “Monterey Railing Project”
 Artist’s Name
 Artist’s Phone Number
 Artist’s Email Address
 Artist’s Mailing Address
 Artist’s Website if applicable
2. Resume of not more than two, double-sided pages that demonstrates experience as an
artist.
3. Images - Artists may submit up to 10 color images on paper or digitally exhibiting
examples of previous art projects
4. References - Names, phone numbers and addresses of three professional references,
with artist’s name noted at top of page.
Application Deadline: Applications and submission must be by 5 p.m. on December XX, 2022.
Applications received after the date and time indicated herein shall not be accepted and
requests for extensions of closing date or time will not be granted. Applications may not be
modified after submission.
Legal info: This call for artists does not constitute a guarantee that the City will hire an artist.
The City may decide at its discretion not to select any of the proposers and/or reissue the call
for artists.

Send or deliver proposals to:
Monterey Railing Project
Nikki Bryant
Recreation Division Manager
City of Capitola
4400 Jade St
Capitola, CA 95010
831-475-5935
Questions? For more information, contact Nikki Bryant at (831) 475-5935,
nbryant@ci.capitola.ca.us.