Request for Qualifications Columbus Avenue Public Art

S A N D U S K Y
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
COLUMBUS AVENUE PUBLIC ART
FACILITATION
www.cityofsandusky.com/publicart
Submissions due April 20, 2026

____________________ COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Division of Planning
240 Columbus Ave
Sandusky, Ohio 44870
419.627.5891
www.cityofsandusky.com
Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
Project Title: Columbus Avenue Public Art Facilitation
Introduction
The City of Sandusky seeks a consultant to facilitate an engagement and selection process for the
commissioning of permanent public art to be installed in the 100 - 200 block of Columbus
Avenue in Sandusky, Ohio. The city has recently completed a transformational $5M streetscape
project on Columbus Avenue that has increased and activated public space downtown. The Public
Arts & Culture Commission has designated $300,000 - $350,000 in funding to add public art to the
streetscape in 2026-2027.
The Division of Planning invites qualified teams to submit a qualifications package showcasing the
expertise needed to lead this process. This project will conduct community engagement sessions
to identify community preferences, create a design brief with parameters for the public art, outline
an action strategy for marketing and attracting qualified artists, and define a selection process for
commissioning and awarding the art.
Project Scope & Deliverables
The goal of this project is to engage the community and create a process for commissioning the
Columbus Avenue Public Art project. The process will include:
1. Community Engagement: Conduct two workshops with corresponding online content to
discover community preferences and ideas for public art on Columbus Avenue.
2. Design Brief: Create a design brief that outlines the vision and technical parameters for the
public art to be commissioned.
3. Action Strategy: Outline a marketing strategy to attract nationally known and established
public art creators to the project.
4. Selection Process: Define a selection process for the city to solicit artist qualifications,
select finalists, commission and award the project.
5. Public Arts & Culture Commission: Present at two meetings of the Public Arts & Culture
Commission to highlight project milestones (roughly mid project and at final draft).
6. (If Authorized) Selection Process support: If authorized, assist the city with the final
selection and award process.
Columbus Avenue Public Art Facilitation RFQ DUE April 20, 2026 1

Qualification Packages Requirements
Interested firms should submit a proposal including the following:
1. Cover Letter (1-2 pages)
Overview of the team's qualifications and interest in the project.
o
2. Team Qualifications (limit 4 pages)
Identify the Project Manager and primary point of contact.
o
Resumes of key personnel.
o
Relevant experience in community engagement, public art planning, and public art
o
implementation.
3. Project Understanding and Approach (limit 2 pages)
Description of the approach to accomplish the scope of work.
o
Draft project schedule with major milestones.
o
4. Work Samples
Examples of similar projects completed by the team (up to five)
o
5. Notes for "If Authorized" scope (limit 1 page)
Overview of any additional team members and approach for "if authorized" support.
o
Selection Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated based on:
* Relevant experience and qualifications of the team.
* Quality and feasibility of the proposed approach.
* Demonstrated public art implementation experience.
Submission Instructions
* Proposals must be submitted electronically in PDF format to Arin Blair
ablair@cityofsandusky.com
* Submissions are due by noon on Monday, April 20, 2026
* Questions may be directed to Quinn Rambo at qrambo@cityofsandusky.com
Draft Timeline
* RFQ Issuance: March 18, 2026
* Last day to submit questions: April 1, 2026
* Qualifications Packages Submission Deadline: NOON April 20, 2026
* Response Review and Interviews (if necessary): May 2026
* Selection of Consultant: June 16, 2026
* Project Completion: Q4 2026
Columbus Avenue Public Art Facilitation RFQ DUE April 20, 2026 2