The City of Newport Beach is seeking up to 10 artworks to display for two years in the heart of Newport Beach in Civic Center Park for Phase IX of its ongoing Invitational Sculpture Exhibition.
Submissions are now complete for this phase, and, after reviewing all submitted works for eligibility, artistic merit, durability, safety, and other factors, the jury consisting of the City Arts Commission and two outside experts has qualified 28 works for consideration.
The public’s vote will determine 10 Finalists and three to five alternates to present to the City Council for approval.
How it works:
- Voting is online only.
- Voting is for Residents of Newport Beach only. Votes from ZIP codes outside of Newport Beach will not be counted.
- The period for voting ends March 11, 2024.
- Voters may select up to 10 favorite works among those submitted.
- Individuals may only cast their votes once. Voters must provide a valid e-mail address and their ZIP code.
- Finalists and Alternates recommended by this poll must be reviewed to confirm that the works are still available, that there are no unforeseen issues with regards to installation and/or safety, and that a contract can successfully be executed with the artist. The Newport Beach City Council will make the final decision regarding the 10 works to be installed.
The selection and installation process for the Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park is managed under contract with the City of Newport Beach by Arts Orange County, the nonprofit countywide arts council. http://artsoc.org/
The Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park is an integral feature of the Newport Beach Civic Center. Civic Center Park, which turned nearly half a million square feet of undeveloped land into a new public park, was designed by renowned landscape architectural firm Peter Walker and Partners (PWP).
The City Arts Commission determined that a rotating exhibition, in which pieces are loaned for a two-year period, was an optimal approach to bring sculpture to the City in a cost-efficient manner. In 2013, the Newport Beach City Council authorized the City Arts Commission to implement an inaugural rotational sculpture exhibit in Civic Center Park.
Admission is free and the exhibition continues to be enjoyed by residents and guests of all ages and sensibilities. The exhibition has become a “museum without walls” that offers the temporary display of public art in a unique, naturalistic setting.
Moreover, the City is able to exhibit a well-balanced representation of public art, with artistic merit, durability, practicality, and site responsiveness as criteria in the selection of work. The rotational nature of the exhibit ensures that residents and guests are exposed to a variety of work.
Selected sculptures will be on loan to the City of Newport Beach for two years. Sculptors, whose artworks are chosen for installation in Civic Center Park, will receive a small honorarium. The City is responsible for installing the art, while artists are responsible for the maintenance and repair of their work. The outdoor exhibition attracts an audience of all ages, including schoolchildren, the local community, and visitors from Southern California and beyond.
