RFQ: Community Regenerative Art, Call for Artists & Artist-Culture Bearers
Background and Context
Community Regenerative Art will support artistic and cultural projects that provide care and regeneration for communities and ecological urban habitats. Projects commissioned through Community Regenerative Art may take the form of what we historically have called eco-art, land-art, or environmental art; they may be presented in a wide variety of media; and they may address pressing environmental issues such as climate change, environmental sustainability and justice. Regenerative design is an approach within the sustainable agricultural field. It mimics ecological systems to create sites that are stable, resilient, and beneficial for all who reside within that site. This design process originates from many indigenous land management and agriculture practices found throughout the world.
Through this RFQ, the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) seeks to establish a roster of pre-qualified artists and artist-culture bearers, both individuals and teams, whose artistic practices repair and rebuild relationships between people and the land, thereby regenerating the natural environment and local urban ecosystem.
Community Regenerative Art seeks to remedy the real-time impacts of climate change, growing social disconnection and polarization, and connect climate justice solutions to the realm of public art.
Eligibility
This RFQ is open to applicants who reside in the County of Los Angeles. Employees of the City of Los Angeles are ineligible to apply. Successful applicants will demonstrate the capacity and professional knowledge to oversee the design, production, and installation of a community regenerative art project while collaborating with City staff, engineers, architects, community stakeholders, general contractors, fabricators, and installers as needed.
Criteria
Successful applicants will respond to this RFQ with application materials that show:
Demonstrated and sustained connections to local indigenous peoples of Los Angeles;
Critical thinking around contemporary narratives about climate change and justice, environmental and land stewardship, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), regenerative design and development, permaculture, biomimicry, biophilic design and/or other nature-based solutions;
Ability to create and build relationships among local communities, the urban environment, and the ecological system of a given place, neighborhood, or site;
Innovative artistic approaches to cultural education and public art programming
Selection Process
An artist selection panel composed of, but not limited to, artists, artist-culture bearers, and professionals from the fields of regenerative design, agriculture education, and public art, will convene to review the submissions received in response to this RFQ. Upon reviewing all submissions, the panel will select up to thirty (30) artists and artist-culture bearers to comprise DCA’s 2026 Roster of Pre-Qualified Community Regenerative Artists and Artist-Culture Bearers. The Roster will remain active for three (3) years from the date of selection. Artists and artist-culture bearers pre-qualified through this RFQ will be eligible to develop site-specific community regenerative art project proposals but are not guaranteed a commission.
Subsequently, as each Community Regenerative Art project opportunity is initiated, DCA will shortlist up to five (5) pre-qualified artists and/or artist-culture bearers, and this shortlist will be asked to develop site-specific project proposals. Upon submission of a complete proposal package, each finalist will receive a proposal honorarium. A proposal selection panel will interview all finalists and select one artist or artist-culture bearer to receive the Community Regenerative Art commission.
Commissioned artists and/or artist-culture bearers must be available to collaborate with DCA staff, project teams, City representatives, contractors, and the public. They must also attend multiple meetings during the course of the project, both in person and/or virtual. Commissioned teams will be required to designate a lead artist or artist-culture bearer for City contracting purposes.
Rights and Responsibilities
DCA reserves the right to decline all applications to this RFQ, and/or cancel this RFQ, or any pre-qualified roster, at any time. This RFQ is subject to the City’s Campaign Finance, Contractor Responsibility, Equal Benefits, Equal Opportunity, Living Wage, Minority/Women Business Enterprise, and Slavery Disclosure Ordinances, as well as any other ordinances in effect in the City of Los Angeles.
Submission Requirements and Deadlines
All applications must be submitted online via SlideRoom. The deadline to apply is TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17th, 2026. Incomplete submissions will not be accepted. Any additional material included that is not requested by DCA will not be reviewed. A complete SlideRoom submission must include:
1. CONTACT INFORMATION including full name, mailing address, telephone, and email. Teams must identify a lead artist or artist-culture bearer as DCA’s primary contact for the team.
2. STATEMENT of INTEREST in creating a Community Regenerative Art project, no more than two pages. *Teams must also briefly describe each team member’s role on the team.
3a. RÉSUMÉ. *Teams must submit a résumé for each artist and artist-culture bearer on the team.
OR (in lieu of a Résumé for an individual applicant or a team member)
3b. UP TO THREE (3) LETTERS of SUPPORT that affirm and detail the individual’s cultural and environmental competency.
4. UP TO TWELVE (12) IMAGES of completed artistic and cultural projects, artworks, installations or cultural programming; include the year, dimensions, media, and a brief description for each (if applicable, also include the client, event, budget, and location for the art projects). *Teams must include images of projects completed by the team.
All applicants are also encouraged to register on the City of LA Regional Alliance Marketplace for Procurement (RAMP) using the Angeleno Account system to be considered for other City opportunities.