City of Laguna Beach
Call for Artists – Temporary Public Art on Forest Avenue

Please read the complete program guidelines before applying: Temporary Public Art on Forest Avenue Guidelines

Eligibility: Open to artist(s) or artist team with demonstrated experience in designing, creating, and installing pedestrian orientated site-responsive public art. 

Submission Deadline: Apply online by March 2, 2026, at https://lagunabeachcity.slideroom.com/

Opportunity: The Arts Commission is inviting artists to submit proposals for temporary art works for display at the Promenade on Forest Avenue. Works may be suspended or installed in various areas throughout the Plaza. Works will be selected by the City of Laguna Beach Arts Commission and on loan from the artist for a specified period. Installations must be durable and safe to the public and environment and withstand an unprotected display in a downtown plaza setting. The rotating temporary works must be appropriate in content for a public setting and audiences of all ages, while offering innovative and unique vision that will help to define the Promenade as a creative community gathering place to be savored and shared, time after time.

Site Description: The Promenade on Forest Avenue will be a new permanent pedestrian plaza in Downtown Laguna Beach providing a mix of uses including outdoor dining, shopping, live music and community gathering. It will serve as a multifaceted living room for Laguna Beach, a central gathering place for residents and visitors alike. There will be a stage for music and seasonal events and an immersive setting for strolling and savoring the majesty of the sun setting over the Pacific. The Promenade will include a series of pedestrian oriented temporary art installations to activate the street, bring additional vibrancy and spark conversation, and add diversity to the City’s permanent public art collection. The goal is to continually reinvent the space with new art experiences.

Exhibition Timeline: From sixty days up to but not to exceed one year.

Budget: A rental honorarium is evaluated on the proposal to include installation, deinstallation, liability insurance and rental cost. Works remain the property of the artist. The selected artist(s) or artist team will be required to enter a contract with the City of Laguna Beach and have liability insurance naming the City as additionally insured for installation and removal.

Applications should include the following:
– Professional Resume (one page): include relevant public art experience.
– Material Description
– Installation method
– Renderings of the proposed artwork
– Proposed placement
– Proposed duration and exhibition period
– Artist Statement (maximum 500 words): describe your artistic vision and approach to the pedestrian orientated public art being proposed.
– Images of previous work. Include images/works that are relevant to the proposed project.
– References: Contact information for three professional references familiar with your work

Selection Process: The Arts Commission will review the applications and make their selection based on the following:
• Qualifications: Artist qualifications as demonstrated by past work and the appropriateness of their concepts to the project. Of highest priority are the artistic capabilities of the artist and the inherent quality of their original artwork to enhance the City’s cultural profile.
• Artistic Excellence: Artists and the proposal shall demonstrate excellence of creative and aesthetic ideas, a mastery of skills and techniques in the creation of original art works, communication of unique vision or perspective, and professional approaches to process and presentation. The Arts Commission will apply aesthetic and artistic judgements in their review, including those noted within this proposal narrative.
• Appropriateness to Site: Artwork shall be appropriate in scale, material, form, and content for the site.
• Durability: Highly durable and safe artwork designed to withstand the natural elements and public space.
• Public Liability: Safety conditions or factors that may bear on public liability.
• Diversity: Diversity of style, scale, media, and artists.
• Content: Appropriateness and relevance and should not contradict the City’s values of environmental sustainability, accessibility, and cultural inclusiveness.

The Arts Commission may select one or multiple proposals and reserves the right to reject all proposals. A proposal for a temporary installation is first reviewed by the Arts Commissions Public Art Sub-Committee. If the proposal is approved by the subcommittee the item will be placed on the agenda for the full Arts Commission. The Arts Commission meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month in the City Council Chambers located at 505 Forest Avenue, Laguna Beach, CA.

Information: Karen Wood, Public Art Coordinator | kwood@lagunabeachcity.net