Call for Artists

Brownsville, located in the Rio Grande Valley in the southernmost region of Texas, is known for its diverse history and rich cultural heritage. As the largest city in the Rio Grande Valley, with a population of approximately 230,000 and growing exponentially, Brownsville and South Padre Island annually host millions of visitors who come to experience its history and culture, explore the outdoors, beaches, enjoy the climate, and experience the binational culture.

Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport has a rich history. Dating back to 1929, the airport was critical in the development of Pan American Airlines’ routes to Mexico and South America. That same year Charles Lindbergh landed in Brownsville after a historic flight establishing the first leg of Airmail Service to Mexico. Amelia Earhart earned her commercial pilot’s license at BRO, and both Lindbergh and Earhart were frequent travelers here.

Today BRO serves the entire Rio Grande Valley with direct service to cities in the US and Mexico. Its new state-of-the-art terminal sees over 320,000 travelers a year from all over the world.

The intersection of Boca Chica Boulevard and Billy Mitchell Boulevard is approximately 1.8 miles from BRO and at an important decision point for travelers driving to the airport. Boca Chica is also one of the most highly traversed road corridors in Brownsville, connecting to downtown to the west and Starbase (SpaceX), South Padre Island and the Port of Brownsville to the east.

The site for the artwork is a triangular shaped traffic island that is approximately 315’ X 316’ X 135’. The island was landscaped with support from the Brownsville Beautification Committee and currently has a lush landscape with both native and non-native landscape. The selected artist will work with BRO and the City of Brownsville Engineering and Public Works Department to re-design the landscape in the triangle to complement the artwork, while maintaining its lush green appearance and focusing on native plants.

BRO seeks to commission a work of art that:

• Welcomes and creates a sense of arrival for visitors and a sense of returning home for locals.
• Enhances wayfinding with a landmark artwork that lets you know you are nearing the airport zone.
• Creates a sense of place that reflects Brownville’s history, heritage, culture, and innovation.
• Creates a sense of pride in the airport and anchors it in the community.

The selected artist will:

• Participate in an initial kickoff meeting and visit to BRO and the region.
• Develop a Concept Design, to include a rendering, narrative description, fabrication methods, and installation plans, budget and timeline.
• Present the Concept Design to the Selection Committee and other stakeholders as requested.
• Fabricate and install the artwork.
• Participate in a project unveiling, and other community events as agreed upon with BRO.

$250,000

The budget is to include all costs of designing, fabricating and installing the artwork, including but not limited to, design, engineering, fabrication, shipping, travel, insurance, overhead and installation costs. Additional funds are available to modify the landscaping.

Artist submissions will be reviewed by the Selection Committee, which includes community and airport representatives. Based upon the review of submittals, the Selection Committee may select an artist or choose to interview multiple artists to make a selection. Once selected, the artist will be placed under contract to execute the above scope of work.

ELIGIBILITY
The opportunity is open to artists that currently or have previously lived in South Texas or the Rio Grande Valley. For the purposes of this Call for Artists, this is defined as:

The following Texas counties:

• Atascosa
• Bee
• Bexar
• Brooks
• Cameron
• Duval
• Goliad
• Hildalgo
• Jim Hogg
• Jim Wells
• Karnes
• Kenedy
• La Salle
• Live Oak
• McMullen
• Nueces
• Refugio
• San Patricio
• Starr
• Webb
• Willacy
• Wilson
• Zapata

And the Mexican communities along the US-Mexico border from Matamoros to Reynosa.

The selected artist will also have experience executing ideas from concept to completion and meeting a specified budget and timeline. Previous experience working in the public realm and with a public agency preferred.

Prospective applicants will be able to attend a virtual Pre- Application Workshop at Noon Central Time on April 16. During this workshop, airport staff and consultants will talk about the opportunity and walk through the application process. Participation in the workshop is optional.

Advanced registration for the workshop is required through Zoom. Register here.

Artist qualifications will be reviewed by the Panel based on the following criteria:

• Artistic excellence: What is the quality of the artist’s work and their compatibility with the project?
• Goals: Does the artist’s body of work demonstrate an ability to create an artwork that responds to the goals of the project?
• Approach: How well does the artist communicate their understanding of the project?
• Capabilities: Does the artist have sufficient experience to be able to design and execute an artwork on time and on budget?

Apply through the submission portal HERE. All materials are due before 11:59 pm Central Time on May 4, 2026.

You will be required to submit images, including:

• 8-10 sample images of previously completed projects that represent your body of work (jpg, gif, png).
• Corresponding image information about each work sample. Please use the fields provided, including: title, year, location, commissioning body, medium, brief description, dimensions, and project budget/price.

You will also be required to submit the following on the application form:

• A statement that indicates your interest in the project and how you might approach the commission (no more than 300 words).
• A statement describing your connection to South Texas and/ or the Rio Grande Valley and what interests you in creating an artwork for this community (no more than 150 words).
• A résumé/CV no longer than 3-pages, including current contact information and email address (pdf, doc or docx). Names and contact information for 3-5 professional references.
• Your contact information and website.

Please do not send specific proposals at this time.

Please submit all questions via email to mckinley@viapartnership.com no later than April 27, 2026.

Responses to all questions will be posted here (on this web page) by April 29, 2026.

For Technical Questions about the submission process, visit: https://zealous.co/help/