Larger-than-life frog sculpture by David Harris, on display at Bernice Garden

The Bernice Garden, a private urban garden intended for public use on the corner of Daisy Gatson Bates Ave. and South Main Street in downtown Little Rock, is seeking proposals from artists/teams to design and construct outdoor sculptures to be installed and exhibited for a year at the garden.

The deadline for The Bernice Garden Sculpture Project call for proposals is 5 p.m. Wed., March 31 and should be sent to 1716 North Spruce St., Little Rock, AR 72207. The call for proposals is open to all artists or artists’ teams residing in Arkansas who specialize in any or multiple disciplines and media.

Any artists or artists’ teams who have participated in placing work at The Bernice Garden should wait four years before submitting a new proposal.

Five sculptures will be selected. The stipend per artwork per artist or artists’ team is $2,800 with an additional design fee of $200 for the finalists’ development of a model for the proposal. Each artist or artists’ team will only be considered for one artwork. The budget must include all design fees, materials, construction, installation, removal, maintenance and liability insurance. The artist or artists’ teams retain ownership of the artwork.

The Bernice Garden Sculpture Project selection committee is seeking a range of works representing or reflecting the spirit, nature and history of Arkansas. Artworks may also celebrate the sense of community and neighborly interaction or be playful and whimsical. Materials used can be traditional or alternative. Artworks must be able to stand up to the elements, interaction and potential vandalism and should be maintenance free. Artists or artists’ teams are responsible for all construction, delivery, installation, maintenance and removal of artwork as well as liability insurance. Artists or artists’ teams will retain ownership of the artwork.

For application packets or more information about the call for proposals, click here. 

The Bernice Garden is privately-owned by Anita Davis but intended for public use. Located at the southeast corner of South Main Street and Daisy Bates Avenue in downtown Little Rock, the garden was created to celebrate the community and will host community events as well as the sculpture exhibit in an effort to foster community interaction and a sense of pride in the neighborhood. The sculpture exhibit is sponsored by Main Street Arkansas and is facilitated by SoMa.

The 50’ x 57’ garden consists of landscaped areas with a crushed granite foundation for the artworks. Next to the sculpture garden is a concrete patio, benches and approximately 20 parking spaces. The sculpture exhibition is part of a multi-staged development plan of the garden.