Polina Gardens Call for Public Art
Polina Gardens Call for Public Art
Applications Open February 18th - March 5th
Amplify and Lauritzen Gardens have teamed up to open a call for public art!
Polina Gardens is Lauritzen Gardens’ first satellite location. Opening in June of 2026, the garden will offer a new, free-to-visit, green space in the heart of Omaha’s Old Market where nature, art, and community intertwine.
Spearheaded by Polina and Bob Schlott and designed by internationally acclaimed Dutch landscape designer, Piet Ouldof, in collaboration with leading landscape design firm, Field Operations, this vibrant, urban oasis will be located between 12th and 13th Streets and Jones and Leavenworth Streets. With over 80 trees and 22,000 individual plants divided into four distinct garden areas, the naturalistic landscape will bring year-round interest to this city block featuring a mix of native plants and other flowers and foliage from across the country. Polina Gardens will also serve as a gathering space for garden-sponsored and private events.
The call for public art will result in the selection of two murals, which will be awarded project budgets of $7,500 and $17,000, respectively, and installed in Polina Gardens. Artists with experience in large-scale outdoor mural-making are encouraged to apply. Artists actively investigating themes of resilience, connection, and nature’s impact on individual well-being are especially encouraged to apply.
Applications are open February 18th - March 5th.
Keep scrolling for more details or visit Amplify’s Submittable page for the full application and to apply!
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This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is the first phase in selecting two new murals for Polina Gardens. The first mural will be installed on a plywood substrate that is approximately 23’ x 7’ (161 sq. ft.) and awarded a $7,500 project budget. The second mural will be installed on a plywood substrate that is approximately 53’ x 7’ mural (371 sq. ft.) and awarded a $17,000 project budget. Both murals must be completed by June 1st, 2026.
Artists with experience in large-scale outdoor mural-making are encouraged to apply. We seek to be expansive in our definition of “mural” and welcome alternative materials that withstand, adapt to, and evolve with outdoor weather conditions. Artists actively investigating themes of resilience, connection, and nature’s impact on individual well-being are especially encouraged to apply.
Up to ten artists will be invited to submit proposals through this RFQ process and given material specifications, site specifications, and a $250 honorarium for their time to create concept drawings and a preliminary budget for the work they envision. Then, a panel review process will result in the selection of two proposals, which will be awarded project budgets in amounts of $7,500 and $17,000 respectively.
Applications are open February 18th - March 5th.
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Eligibility
Any artist, artist collective, or collaborative group maintaining a residence within an 80-mile radius of Omaha, NE is eligible to apply. This includes Audubon, Cass, Crawford, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby Counties in Iowa and Burt, Butler, Cass, Colfax, Cuming, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Gage, Johnson, Lancaster, Nemaha, Otoe, Platte, Polk, Saline, Sarpy, Saunders, Seward, Stanton, Thurston, Washington, Wayne, and York Counties in Nebraska.
Applicants must be at least 19 years old.
Applicants must submit a complete application to be considered.
A formal education is not required to apply.
For collaborative groups
Submissions from artist collectives and collaborative groups are welcome. Collectives and collaborative groups are eligible if:
At least one member of the group meets the eligibility requirements outlined above.
The group is not incorporated into a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
Members of the group are committed to working on a deeply collaborative level to advance the goals of the group, rather than those of the individuals within the group.
Collaborative groups should submit as a group and discuss the nature and duration of the collaboration in their Artist Statement.
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Review Process Timeline
February 18th: Applications Open
February 23rd; 11am - 1pm: Application Office Hours
February 26th; 6pm - 8pm: Application Office Hours
March 5th; 11:59pm: Application Closes
March 2nd - March 9th: RFQ Application Review
March 13th: Application Status Updates Delivered; Proposal Invitations Extended
April 3rd: Proposals Due
April 6th - April 10th: Proposal Review
April 17th: Proposal Status Updates Delivered
Installation Timeline
April 20th - May 31st: Mural Preparation and Installation
June 1st: Mural Completion and Documentation
June 9th: Polina Gardens Opening Celebration
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Applicants will be asked to submit:
An Artist Statement that describes how resilience, connection, and nature’s impact on individual well-being show up in their work.
A Work Sample that includes examples of fully realized past work. Please do not include sketches, mock-ups, renderings, and/or proposals at this stage. This will result in the disqualification of your application.
A Works Cited page that offers more information about individual works in the Work Sample.
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Review Process
For this RFQ, applications will be reviewed in a three-phase review process:
Amplify Arts staff will review to ensure applicants meet eligibility requirements and have submitted a complete application.
All eligible applications will be reviewed and scored by an external panel of Garden team members, arts professionals, and community partners.
Panel members will invite approximately ten artists to submit proposals.
Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
The Artist Statement expresses an understanding of the artist’s practice and their work’s relationship to themes of resilience, connection, and nature’s impact on individual well-being.
The Work Sample illustrates a proven track-record of past work that inspires confidence in the artist’s ability to realize new public artwork.
The application is compelling and overall a good fit.
Questions? Register for Virtual Application Office Hours to talk with a member of Amplify’s staff about your application. Or, email info@amplifyarts.org anytime.