Seeking artists for new public art at City senior center

Artists or artist teams in Northern California can apply for a chance to create permanent art for the South Berkeley Senior Center. 

The selected artist will design, make, and install five three-dimensional, wall-mounted artworks. They will receive a $225,000 contract to create, deliver, and install the work. 

The artworks will be located throughout the South Berkeley Senior Center: 

• One exterior artwork at the entrance, approximately 9 feet high by 10 feet wide.
• Four interior artworks will be on the second floor, within a wall area approximately 55 inches high by 18 feet wide.

Artists are asked to propose art which reflects a welcoming attitude to a diverse, multigenerational audience and reflects the senior center’s history and South Berkeley’s African American cultural heritage. 

Artists must live in the 21 counties within the Northern California Megaregion to be eligible for this application. The eligible counties include all of the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento regions; Sonoma, Yolo, and Sutter to the north; Placer, El Dorado, and Yuba to the east; and Monterey and San Benito to the south.

Artists from historically underrepresented communities, including African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, and Native American populations, are strongly encouraged to apply.

Apply on the Submittable application portal by 5:00 pm on April 27, 2026, to beautify the South Berkeley Senior Center.

Commission for public art and the selection process 

Artists and artist teams must submit a cover letter, resume, and portfolio with five to ten images of completed works relevant to this project through the Submittable application portal. Applications will be reviewed for creativity, relevant experience, and how well they address the project requirements.

After the April 27 deadline, a panel will select up to three finalists. Finalists will then be asked to develop site-specific design proposals for a $1,750 honorarium. The City will share these designs with the public in a survey in October 2026. 

Following public feedback, a review panel – composed of City commission representatives, architects, arts professionals, and community members – will recommend one artist or team to the Civic Arts Commission for final approval.

Artists and teams need to live in one of these 21 counties within the Northern California Megaregion:

• Alameda
• Contra Costa
• El Dorado
• Marin, Merced, Monterey
• Napa
• Placer
• Sacramento, San Benito, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter
• Yolo, Yuba

Community of the South Berkeley Senior Center

Located in South Berkeley - a neighborhood with deep African American cultural roots and civic activism - the Judge Henry Ramsey Jr. South Berkeley Senior Center has served adults 60 and older since 1979 as a hub for meals, classes, services, and community events. 

The senior center is currently undergoing renovations to upgrade seismic, electrical, and accessibility systems, improve energy performance, and reconfigure staff space, with completion expected in 2028. The City is incorporating this public art into the project to reflect the community’s history and its ongoing role as a gathering space.

This public art opportunity is part of the City’s broader effort to integrate creativity into shared spaces. The Civic Arts Program builds community connection by commissioning artists to create works that reflect Berkeley’s character.

Artists who would like to be considered must apply online by 5:00 pm PT on April 27, 2026.   

Links

• South Berkeley Senior Center Public Art: Application to submit qualifications
• Civic Arts Program: grants, newsletter sign up
• South Berkeley Senior Center Improvements Project