Bernalillo County is inviting local artists to submit proposals for a new public art project that will be integrated into the upcoming New Mexico COVID Memorial. This memorial will be the first publicly funded COVID memorial in the United States, offering a solemn and reflective space to honor those impacted by the pandemic.
The request for qualifications for this unique artistic endeavor will be open from July 11 through August 1. The county seeks six artists to design distinctive, two-dimensional concepts for perforated metal panels. These panels will line the memorial’s “pilgrimage path” at the Dr. E. A. “Swede” Scholer Regional Recreation Complex, located at 5601 University Blvd. SE in Albuquerque.
Each artist selected for the project will receive $11,000 through Bernalillo County’s 1.5% for Art Program, which is funded by voter-approved general obligation bonds. This budget encompasses both the design phase and collaboration with a local fabricator to bring the panel concepts to fruition. To be eligible, artists must reside in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, or Texas.
The metal panels, each measuring four feet by eight feet, will feature intricate cut-metal designs engineered to cast compelling patterns of light and shadow onto the adjacent pathway. Bernalillo County will engage a local fabricator who will work closely with the selected artists to translate their artistic visions into finished metalwork.
Interested artists can learn more and apply online.
