Welcome and Thank You Signs

What the City is asking for

Two original, site-specific artworks on US 1 at the entrance to Key West. The City is asking for public art rather than a standard highway sign, and it still calls the two works signs: one that welcomes people as they arrive, one that thanks them as they leave. The RFP describes the goal as "a memorable gateway to inspire and welcome people to Key West and thank them for coming with unique and site-specific public art works."

The brief asks artists to work from the fabric of the city itself. It names Dade County pine from the conch houses, the gingerbread carved by early ship builders, red brick from the pre-Civil War forts, keystone coral from the original Post Office, and the wrought iron of the Southernmost Mansion. The City motto, One Human Family, runs through the document.

One artist or team may be selected for one work or for both. A proposal covering more than one location must itemize the budget for each, and the total may not exceed the project budget.

The gateway Imagery: USGS The National Map

The budget

$75,000 to $100,000 for the project as a whole, not for each sign. Artists are encouraged to propose at or under $100,000.

That figure is inclusive of every cost the artist carries: design, artist fee, fabrication, delivery, installation, base, lighting and landscaping. There is no separate installation allowance. A work is only considered complete once it is installed in place.

Who can apply

Professional artists and artist teams with a history of completing work integrated into challenging public spaces. Experience in mixed media, architectural, streetscape and historical projects is preferred rather than required, and artist qualifications carry the smallest share of the score.

There is no residency requirement. You do not have to live in Key West, Monroe County or Florida to propose. There is no pre-qualification round, no shortlisting stage and no fee.

Two licensing requirements do apply. Documentation of State license compliance goes in with the proposal. County and City licensing, including a City of Key West Business Tax License Receipt, is due within ten days of a notice of award, and is a condition of signing the agreement. The selected artist also has to carry $300,000 in liability insurance.

What the site demands

This is a state highway, so the work has to satisfy the Florida Department of Transportation as well as the City. The RFP requires conformance with the FDOT standard for Community Aesthetic Features, set out in the Florida Design Manual.

• The inbound entrance work sits 7 feet from the path and 6.5 feet from the guardrail. The outbound work on SR5 sits 20 feet from the nearest travel lane.
• It must enhance the streetscape without distracting drivers.
• It must withstand hurricane winds up to 180 mph, full sun, ultraviolet exposure and salt air, and last at least 25 years with little to no regular maintenance.
• It cannot impede ADA access or traffic.
• Installation needs stamped and sealed documents, a building permit, Urban Forestry Manager review and City Commission approval.
• The RFP asks that visitors be able to stop, park and take photographs.

How proposals are scored

Every proposal is scored out of 100 by the Art in Public Places Board, sitting with two appointed non-voting members. The Board recommends, and the City Commission gives final approval.

• 30 Artistic excellence , 30 points. Creativity, originality and the overall aesthetic quality of the proposed design
• 25 Site and community relevance , 25 points. How well the artwork relates to the site, enhances the public space, and reflects Key West's values and culture
• 20 Suitability and durability , 20 points. Appropriateness of materials for outdoor display, structural safety and long-term maintenance
• 15 Feasibility and budget , 15 points. Realism of the proposed budget and material usage
• 10 Artist qualifications , 10 points. Demonstrated experience completing similar public art projects

What goes in the package

The RFP lists what it calls the submittal requirements in one place and the forms in another, and the cover sheet checklist does not mention the forms at all. Here is everything, in one list.

1. The application cover sheet, completed, signed and dated, with a current resume.
2. A written proposal: a narrative describing the proposed artwork, two typed pages maximum.
3. An itemized budget covering design, artist fee, fabrication, complete installation, base, lighting and landscaping. A separate one for each location if you propose more than one.
4. Concept drawings: printed drawings, images or color sketches, five pages maximum, or a maquette. Digital is preferred: PDF or JPG on a thumb drive, five images maximum, not exceeding 75 dpi.
5. A small model or maquette if the proposal is three-dimensional. Nothing you send is returned unless you include prepaid return shipping, so put a prepaid label in the package if you want the maquette back.
6. Documentation showing compliance with State licensing requirements.
7. Ten signed forms, listed in the document as Attachments: Non-Collusion Affidavit, Non-Coercive Conduct Affidavit, Public Entity Crimes Form, Indemnification Form, Equal Benefits for Domestic Partners Affidavit, Cone of Silence Affidavit, Anti-Kickback Affidavit, Local Vendor Certification, Scrutinized Companies certification, and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion certification.
8. The proposer information and signature page, with the address to which all communications should be sent, and the subcontractor list.

How to deliver it

Send a sealed package by mail, certified mail, FedEx or UPS, or deliver it by hand. Mark the outside of the envelope with the solicitation title and address it to the City Clerk.

Inside the envelope: one original, signed, dated and marked ORIGINAL, plus two flash drives, each holding the whole submission as one single PDF.

Questions, and how to ask them

All questions must be in writing, and must arrive no later than 3:00 p.m. on Monday, September 28. The City answers by October 9. Answers are published to everyone without naming who asked, so a good question helps every artist.

The document gives two contacts. For the artwork and the program, email Elizabeth Young, Executive Director of the Florida Keys Council of the Arts and Art in Public Places Administrator for the City, at director@keysarts.com. For the procurement itself, email Lucas Torres-Bull, Procurement Manager, at lucas.torresbull@cityofkeywest-fl.gov. If you are unsure which, send it to both.

Key dates

• Issued: Tuesday, September 15, 2026
• Questions due: Monday, September 28, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.
• City answers questions by: Friday, October 9, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.
• Proposals due: Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern
• Time to build and install: one year from the City's notice to proceed, extendable once by six months if both sides agree in writing