Call to Artists

Parks Tacoma Public Art Program

Deadline: June 8, 2026 11:59PM
Budget: $10,000 design and consultation fee

Artwork Opportunity:

Parks Tacoma is looking for an artist or artist team to design site-responsive artwork for Portland Ave Park, specifically, digital vector graphics for potential application as several small art interventions (such as concrete stamps or metal inlays) throughout the new splash pad and spray park areas. The art designs should be relevant to the cultural and historical significance of the park space and appropriate for a “sprayground” water play area.

The selected artist or artist team will coordinate closely with the architectural and engineering design team, Mithun, to recommend integrations of the artwork into the specific planned improvements. The project will also include engagement with staff, local community members, and the Puyallup Tribe. The selected artist or artist team will recommend fabrication and installation techniques for applications using the designs they produce but they will not be responsible for the final implementation. The selected artist or artist team will provide the final, approved digital art designs to Parks Tacoma, and the fabrication itself will be managed by the Park District.

Artist Eligibility:

• Applicants must reside in Pierce County
• Applicants cannot be an employee, advisory council member, or Park Board commissioner of Parks Tacoma
• Applicants must be over 18 years of age
• Before starting work, the chosen artist(s) must have:
  • General Liability Insurance

People who are members of historically disenfranchised racial, ethnic, cultural, and other identity groups, including artists from Puyallup, Coast Salish, and/or the other tribes of the Pacific Northwest, are encouraged to apply.

Selection Criteria:

• Artistic quality as exemplified in past work
• Ability to create artwork that speaks to an authentic Indigenous experience, particularly local tribal experiences
• Ability to relate to multiple types of viewers
• Ability to meet project deadlines as exemplified through past projects
• Ability to produce designs translatable into multiple mediums, as exemplified in past work

Project Background:

Portland Avenue Park is a 13.4 acre community park on the Eastside and serves a diverse community. In May of 2023 a master plan was adopted by the Park Board of Commissioners which identified specific improvements for the park, including the work included in this capital project. The current capital improvement project will cover a Phase I design and construction of a sprayground, playground and restroom building with storage.

Portland Ave Park is within the boundary of the Puyallup Reservation, and sits within a few blocks of the current headquarters of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians administrative offices. The adopted Master Plan for the park includes elements designed specifically with tribal input, and the designs for public artwork should take into account the role of the space for community gatherings for the Tribe and other local user groups.

For more details on the project and to access the full park Master Plan, please visit the project webpage here: Portland Avenue Park project