GLENDALE ARTS REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) – TEACHING ARTISTS

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) – TEACHING ARTISTS

City of Glendale Office of Arts & Culture  Glendale, Arizona

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The City of Glendale’s Office of Arts & Culture seeks qualifications from experienced teaching artists to facilitate interactive art stations as part of a new community arts event planned for Fall 2026 in Murphy Park, located in Historic Downtown Glendale.

This outdoor evening event will combine art-making, live music, food vendors, and community engagement through a large-scale “paint-and-sip” inspired experience. Community members will be invited to create artwork inspired by famous artistic movements while incorporating iconic Glendale themes and landmarks.

The City is seeking artists who are equally passionate about creative practice and community engagement, with the ability to guide participants of all ages and skill levels through an enjoyable, hands-on art experience.

The City intends to select four (4) teaching artists to lead individual art stations during the event.

EVENT INFORMATION

• Event Date: October 17, 2026
• Event Time: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Artist Commitment on Event Day: Approximately 4:30 PM – 8:30 PM, including station setup, event facilitation, and breakdown
• Location: Murphy Park, Historic Downtown Glendale
• Estimated Attendance: 500–800 participants
• Number of Teaching Artist Opportunities: Four (4)

PROJECT GOALS

The City seeks artists who can:

• Create welcoming and engaging experiences for participants of all skill levels
• Translate artistic concepts into approachable, hands-on activities
• Encourage creativity, exploration, and community participation
• Facilitate high-volume public engagement in an outdoor event environment
• Help participants connect with Glendale’s identity through art

ART STATION OPPORTUNITIES

The City anticipates selecting four (4) teaching artists to facilitate interactive art stations during the event.

Selected artists will be paired with a station concept developed by the City and will collaborate with Arts & Culture staff to refine the participant experience. Station assignments will be made based on each artist’s background, artistic style, teaching experience, and demonstrated strengths as an educator and facilitator.

Artists are not required to submit concepts, lesson plans, renderings, or activity proposals as part of this RFQ.

Following selection, the City will provide artists with a creative brief and work collaboratively with each selected artist to develop the final activity, instructional approach, and participant experience for their assigned station.

COMPENSATION

Selected Teaching Artists will receive a total compensation of $1,000 each.

Compensation includes:

• $200 stipend for the creation of instructional materials based on the City-provided station concept and creative brief, including the development of progression panels demonstrating the artistic process for participants.
• $200 per hour for event-related services, including facilitation of their assigned art station and participant engagement during the evening event.

Selected artists will enter into an Artist Agreement with the City of Glendale.

The City will provide participant supplies, event materials, volunteers, logistical support, and event infrastructure.

ANTICIPATED TIMELINE

• RFQ Released: June 29, 2026
• Submission Deadline: August 14, 2026, at 11:59 PM (Arizona Time)
• Artist Selection & Notification: By August 21, 2026
• Contract Issuance: By August 21, 2026
• Concept Development Meetings: August–September 2026   (Individual meetings with selected artists; schedule to be determined)
• Event Date: October 17, 2026
• Event Time: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

ELIGIBILITY

This opportunity is open to professional artists, teaching artists, arts educators, and artist teams residing in Arizona.

Applicants should demonstrate:

• Experience teaching or facilitating public art activities
• Experience working with diverse audiences
• Strong communication and engagement skills
• Ability to work in collaborative and community-focused environments
• Local and regional artists are strongly encouraged to apply.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1. Letter of Interest (maximum 2 pages) - Description of your teaching artist, arts education, or community engagement experience. Interest in participating in this opportunity. Description of any experience facilitating public-facing arts activities, workshops, demonstrations, paint nights, museum education programs, festivals, or similar events.
2. Resume or Curriculum Vitae
3. Portfolio - Up to 10 images demonstrating artistic work and/or examples of teaching artist, community engagement, or educational programming experience. Include image descriptions and project information corresponding to each image.

HOW TO APPLY

The selection process will include review by the City of Glendale Office of Arts & Culture and the Glendale Arts Commission.

All applications must be submitted through Submittable. The application process is free.

No hard copies will be accepted, and no applications should be submitted directly to the Office of Arts & Culture.

To Apply:

Please visit:

https://glendaleazarts.submittable.com/submit to upload your application materials.

QUESTIONS

Questions regarding this opportunity should be submitted to:

publicart@glendaleaz.com

SELECTION CRITERIA

Applications will be evaluated based on:

• Quality of artistic work
• Teaching artist and facilitation experience
• Community engagement experience
• Ability to communicate artistic concepts to broad audiences
• Demonstrated professionalism and reliability
• Overall fit for the event vision

SELECTION PROCESS

This Request for Qualifications is intended to evaluate artistic quality, teaching experience, community engagement experience, and facilitation skills.

Artists are not required to submit concepts, renderings, lesson plans, or design proposals.

Selected artists will work directly with City staff following the selection process to develop activities aligned with the event vision and assigned station theme.

The City of Glendale reserves the right to reject any or all submissions and to modify the scope of work as necessary to meet project goals.