Toledo Water Tower

Design Project

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

Water Tower Design Project: Toledo, OH

The Arts Commission of Greater Toledo’s Art in Public Places Program has partnered with the City of Toledo’s Water Treatment department to commission designs for two new water towers that will be constructed in 2026.

A Design Review Board (DRB) plans to select three artists to create a simple design for the horizontal section of the watertower. Preferences will be made for artists that have strong vector based graphic design portfolios. The selected artist will not be painting the water tower. The goal of this project is to commission the design.

View the full Request for Qualifications here.

ELIGIBILITY

The project is open to all artists living within Lucas County, age 18 and over, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, military status, sexual orientation, marital status, or physical or mental disability. Artist teams are eligible to apply.

TIMELINE

06/03/2026 Launch RFQ

07/01/2026 Qualifications Due

07/08/2026 DRB Meeting 1

07/15/2026 Design Proposal Phase starts

8/15/2026 Designs Are Due

8/20/2026 Proposal Presentations

8/25/2026 DRB votes on winning designs

The Arts Commission reserves the right to change the project timeline. Additional dates may be added for meetings and proposal presentations.

HOW TO APPLY

Artists interested in this project must prepare and submit the following:

Letter of Interest - This letter should be no more than one page and should explain the artist’s interest in the project.
Current Resume - If submitting as a team, a current resume for each team member should be provided.
Visual Support Materials - Submit 5 digital images of your most recent professional work. A preference will be made for work that includes strong graphic design elements.
Annotated image list - The image list must include the artist’s name and a brief description of the image stating its title, date, medium, size, and use.

All submissions must be received by 11:59 pm EST, July 1, 2026.

Materials must be submitted through this link: Water Tower RFQ

Water tower locations:

Schneider Park

Silver Creek Elementary School

SELECTION PROCESS

The Design Review Board will be composed of members of The Arts Commission, City of Toledo Water Treatment Department and additional stakeholders. The Design Review Board for this project will review all submissions and select up to three artists as finalists. The finalists will then be asked to develop a conceptual approach for artwork and make a presentation of their proposal. More details will be made available at the proposal stage.

STIPENDS

The finalists will be compensated $2,000 for their participation in this stage of the selection. The artist with the winning proposal will be awarded an additional $6,000 stipend

For further information, please contact Nathan Mattimoe, Director of Art in Public Places: 419-254-2787 ext. 1011. nmattimoe@theartscommission.org

Water Tower artwork surface dimensions

Application

Click the button below to submit* your application for the Toledo Water Tower Design Project RFQ. *Submission uploads collected via Google Drive; Google account required to complete submission. Please contact Ben Cook (bcook@theartscommission.org) for assistance uploading RFQ materials.

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View Full RFQ

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The Arts Commission
1000 Adams Street
Toledo, Ohio 43604
419-254-ARTS (2787)

Office Hours

Monday through Friday
8:30am - 4:30pm

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Statement

Inclusion, diversity, equity and access are fundamentally important to our work at The Arts Commission. Our aim is to provide access and opportunity to art and culture for all in our community. It is our committed practice to stand alongside, listen and act based upon community needs. We have a responsibility to advocate for inclusion, diversity, equity and access. The Arts Commission will continue to deepen this practice as we move into the future.

The Arts Commission believes that the arts can provide the space to foster conversations that bring us together. The arts have long stood in the gap as a bridge between cultures. They have served as a place to support healing, as well as a place to develop and exchange compassion. We trust the arts in this role. By embracing our differences and celebrating our similarities we build a more vibrant, just, and inclusive society.

Terms

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Accessibility

The Arts Commission strives to provide programming and events in an inclusive manner in accessible spaces and venues. Should you wish to visit or participate and need accommodation, please contact us at 419-254-2787.