$100,000 FOR FITCH MOUNTAIN PUBLIC ART

CITY SEEKS PROPOSALS BY MARCH 10 FOR ‘PERMANENT’ IMPROVEMENT Project

Professional artists are invited to submit ideas and qualifications for a signature public art project as part of the Fitch Mountain Access Improvement project, the City of Healdsburg announced this week.

The Fitch Mountain Art Committee is seeking an artist to design and implement a permanent (site-specific) public art project on Fitch Mountain, the 991-foot peak on the city's eastern boundary, surrounded on three sides by the Russian River.

“Fitch Mountain is a Healdsburg icon, and now that it’s open to the public, we want to enhance the experience of reaching the summit,” said State Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire, who spearheaded the acquisition of Fitch Mountain as a city-owned preserve while he served on the Healdsburg City Council and later as a Sonoma County supervisor.

McGuire helped secure funding for the art project, up to $100,000 in Coastal Conservancy funds that will pay an artist or team of artists to create, transport and install a work of art that reflects and celebrates the natural landscape and experience of being on Fitch Mountain.

This public art opportunity is for one artist or team of artists to create an installation that reflects and celebrates the natural landscape and experience of being on Fitch Mountain. The preserve includes hiking trails that will be improved this spring in another city project.

The public art may ormay not be interactive.Installations integratedwith the landscape and/or those with functionalcomponents will also beconsidered.

“We want to honorthis majestic setting thathas inspired our community,”said HealdsburgMayor Ariel Kelley,who leads the volunteerteam tasked with developingthe art projectframework. “It won’t beeasy, but it will be worthit. The artist (or artists)who are chosen will beinstalling their work inrugged terrain and on adeadline.”

The Fitch MountainArt Committee is opento practicing, professionalartists residing inthe United States. Artistsworking in a varietyof 3-D installationsand permanent mediaare encouraged to apply.Preference will be givento artists residing inNorthern California orthose with a connectionto Sonoma County or theState of California.

All artists must beable to participate in anorientation and visit thesummit of Fitch Mountainat least once duringthis process.

The maximum projectbudget is $100,000and should be inclusiveof all artist fees,and all expenses relatedto design development,including engineering;fabrication; travel, transportationand installationof the artwork;insurance; and all otherproject related expenses.

Finalists invited tosubmit specific proposalswill receive an honorariumof $1,000 for theirefforts and materials fora maquette (small preliminarymodel) of theirproposed project.

Artists are invited tosubmit qualificationsthrough the online formavailable at tinyurl.com/yck5en9n no later than5pm on Friday, March 10.

For moreinformation, emailfitchmountainart@gmail.com.