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1.  Project Overview 

Issued by the City of Chelsea's Manager of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy and the John Ruiz Statue Selection Committee, and supported by the Community Preservation Act (CPA), the City of Chelsea seeks  applications from artists/artist teams to design and create a life-size/slightly larger-than-life, figurative bronze statue in the likeness of John Ruiz. After completion, the statue will be installed in John Ruiz Park in Chelsea, Massachusetts.

 

This two-phase artist selection process incorporates a Request for Qualifications, which will be reviewed by a selection committee of Chelsea artists, municipal staff, and community members. From that pool, between three and five finalists will be awarded equal grants from $2,000 to $3,300 to develop and submit statue proposals, including a maquette (a small-scale 3D model). The 3D models will be shared for public comment, and a final artist recommendation will be made by the John Ruiz Statue Selection Committee. This approach is to ensure input from both technical experts and the community at large, as well as equity, a high caliber of applicants, and a faithful representation of the subject, John Ruiz. 

 

The City of Chelsea proposes the creation and installation of a life-size bronze statue honoring John Ruiz to be placed in John Ruiz Park. This public artwork will celebrate the legacy of one of Chelsea’s most accomplished athletes and recognize his historic achievement as the first Latino heavyweight boxing champion of the world.

 

The project will include the design and casting of a permanent bronze sculpture, along with a pedestal and interpretive ADA Accessible signage describing Ruiz’s life, career, and connection to the Chelsea community. The statue will serve as a landmark honoring a figure whose perseverance, dedication, and accomplishments represent the strength and resilience of the city.

 

This installation will also represent the first bronze statue placed in Chelsea in many years, helping expand the city’s public art landscape while highlighting a local figure whose story deserves broader recognition. By situating the statue in John Ruiz Park, the project will enhance the park’s identity and create a focal point for community gathering and reflection. Through this project, Chelsea will celebrate an important part of its history while investing in a meaningful public space that reflects the community’s pride, diversity, and achievements.

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The public art competition is open to all interested artists and artists teams at least 18 years old and residents of the United States. Artists and artists teams who identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) and/or female are strongly encouraged to apply. Local artists or artists teams who live or work in Chelsea or whose lived experience would resonate with the Chelsea community are strongly encouraged to apply.

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The artist selection process will happen in two phases:​​

 

• Phase 1: National ‘Call for Artists’ to submit qualifications & the selection of finalists

• Phase 2: Finalist artists/artist teams to submit proposals including maquettes & selection of final awardee

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John Ruiz: A Chelsea Living Legend 

 

This life-size, figurative sculpture will celebrate the life and legacy of boxer John Ruiz, the two-time heavyweight champion, and first-ever Latino heavyweight champion. Born January 4, 1972, Ruiz grew up in Chelsea and remains an active community member to this day, serving as the marshal in Chelsea’s 400th anniversary parade in 2025. 

 

Proposed sculptures should express themes of perseverance, excellence, endurance, tenacity, diversity, and pride, reflecting both Ruiz’s story and achievements.

 

We welcome proposals that encourage physical activity or other interaction, including making use of John Ruiz Park, in keeping with John Ruiz’s career as an athlete and his history of encouraging future generations to increase their positive self esteem and valuable life skills via physical activity, which continues to this day. 

 

About Chelsea, Massachusetts

 

Chelsea is a small but dynamic city located just across the Mystic River from Boston. Despite its modest size, it is one of the most densely populated communities in Massachusetts, known for its cultural richness and resilience. More than two-thirds of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino, with strong roots from Central America, the Caribbean, and South America, alongside immigrant communities from around the world. This diversity is reflected in Chelsea’s languages, traditions, food, and daily life. 

 

The City has a long history as a gateway city, welcoming generations of newcomers who contribute to the workforce, build businesses, and shape the community. Its industrial and working-class heritage continues to influence the built environment, with warehouses, factories, and infrastructure corridors forming much of the city’s landscape. At the same time, Chelsea has invested in reclaiming and transforming these spaces for public use, with new parks, walking trails, and public art projects helping residents feel more connected to their city. 

 

The arts have played an important role in Chelsea’s civic and community life. Public murals, cultural festivals, and creative placemaking projects bring people together to celebrate local identity and history. In recent years, the city has expanded opportunities for artists and community members to collaborate on projects that transform underutilized spaces into places of beauty, creativity, and welcome. 

 

About John Ruiz Park 

 

The sculpture will be installed in a pocket park where there are a few trees, some playground equipment, a seasonal splash pad, and some tables with chairs as well as stone benches. The sculpture will be installed in an open circle of grass within the park. 

 

The current location has a plexiglass standee of John Ruiz, a damaged sign with interpretative signage, which has been damaged, and a structure of metal bars reminiscent of a boxing ring. We propose removing these three elements and either preserving them elsewhere in the City of Chelsea, like the Chelsea Public Library or one of Chelsea’s public schools, or giving them to John Ruiz.

 

The grass lawn where we plan to site the statue has a radius of 16' 3". The lawn is surrounded by a circle of brick paving. There are four, 6-foot metal benches placed on the brick paving surrounding the lawn. 

 

Note: For detailed site information, please see the Appendix.

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2. The Awards

 

Funding for this project comes from the City of Chelsea via the Community Preservation Act. Grant awards will be made at each phase of the artist selection process as follows:

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Phase 1: A stipend between two thousand dollars and three thousand, three hundred dollars ($2,000-$3,300) will be awarded to each Finalist to submit a design proposal, including creating a maquette or similar small-scale 3D model for the statue, through a maquette public art grant agreement (see Appendix).

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Three to five (3-5) of these grant awards are available.

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Phase 2: From these initial 3D models, one artist/artist team will be selected as the final awardee for the project and will be eligible for funding up to one hundred-sixty thousand dollars ($160,000) through a public art grant agreement. The text of this grant agreement will be provided to all finalists along with their invitation to proceed.

 

One of these awards is available. 

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This maximum allowable budget of $160,000 is inclusive of all associated project costs, including:

• Complete design and development of the artwork (including a granite or similar base/pedestal)

• Engineering documents and approvals

• Artists’ fees including but not limited to creation, coordination, travel, and community engagement

• Insurance

• Travel

• Materials (including base/pedestal)

• Foundry and fabrication

• Installation coordination*

• Transportation and delivery

• Contingency

• 2-year warranty from the artist and foundry for the completed artwork

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*Installation is to be coordinated between the selected artist/artist team, City of Chelsea’s Manager of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy, and the Department of Public Works. Installation costs will be paid for directly by the City of Chelsea and are outside of this award.

 

Public Purpose 

This artwork will celebrate the legacy of one of Chelsea’s most accomplished athletes, recognizing his historic achievement as the first Latino heavyweight boxing champion of the world, while investing in a meaningful public space that reflects the community’s pride, diversity, and achievements.

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Sculpture Specifications

 

• The statue shall be life-size, or slightly greater than life-size

• The state shall be made of bronze

• The statue shall be installed on a granite pedestal  (or comparable material) in John Ruiz Park

• The artist will source the pedestal and pay for it out of the award

• The statue will be installed by the City of Chelsea’s Department of Public Works

• Chelsea’s DPW will determine the size of the footing in cooperation with the selected artist

• Please send any questions regarding specifications to dharrington@chelseama.gov by 4pm on Wednesday,

• October 21, 2026.

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Who Can Apply 

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• All U.S.-based artists or teams, 18+ years old, are eligible.

• Artists must have experience in figurative sculpture, including recognizable likenesses of human beings. 

• Preference to those with demonstrated connection to Chelsea or similar immigrant, working-class, or environmental justice communities. Diverse artists are strongly encouraged to apply.

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3. Selection Process

A committee of City staff, community members, artists, and recreation professionals will review all applications. Outside expertise may be consulted if necessary.

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Selection criteria emphasize the public purpose and community benefit:

• Artistic Merit and Originality: Strong artistic quality and creative vision

• Feasibility: Demonstrated ability to complete the project on time and on budget

• Technical & Professional Capability: Experience working with municipalities and with similar materials at this scale

• Site & Community Relevance: Potential of the artist’s style to resonate with the Chelsea community, John Ruiz Park, local history, and project goals.

 

Process Details

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Phase 1: Request for Qualifications and Artists/Artist Teams Selected for Design Development

 

• Artists/Artist teams submit applications outlining their relevant qualifications and experience as outlined below in response to “Call for Artists”

• The John Ruiz Statue Selection Committee will review the applications. This review will determine which artists/artist teams will be invited to submit maquettes based on the required qualifications.

• Three to five (3-5) selected artists/artist teams will be identified as finalists and invited to submit statue design proposals in the form of maquettes, or small-scale 3D models

• Artists/Artist teams identified as finalists who accept the invitation will be required to enter into a grant agreement to receive a stipend, minimum $2,000, maximum $3,300 per artist/artist team, (not to exceed $10,000 distributed equally across all artists/artist teams) for design proposal development, including a maquette.

 

Phase 2: Statue Design Development and Final Selection
 

• The contracted finalist artists will be given 5 weeks to develop their design proposal and create a maquette, or a small-scale 3D model

• Finalists will submit statue designs for review, including a maquette, detailed sketches/images of designs, interpretive/commemorative narrative overview description of design, proposed project timeline, technical requirements, general installation needs/plan, itemized project budget, and a recommended maintenance plan.

• Using input from the public comment period, the Selection Committee will review the statue designs and identify one Artist/Artist Team and accompanying design to recommend to the City Manager and City Council for final approval

• The selected Artist/Artist team will enter into a Public Art Grant Agreement with the City of Chelsea for the development, creation, and implementation of a public art memorial as outlined in this Call for Artist in exchange for an all-inclusive grant stipend not to exceed $160,000. Funding is inclusive of all associated project costs as specifically outlined under the “Awards” section of this Call for Artists. A copy of this public art grant agreement will be provided to all selected finalist Artists/Artist Teams when invited to submit design proposals.

 

4. How to apply
 

Submissions will be received via our online portal.
 

Submissions will be accepted until 11:59 p.m., Thursday, November 5, 2026. No late submissions will be accepted. No emailed submission will be accepted. 

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An optional info session will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, October 21, 2026 from 12 to 1 p.m. ET:
Meeting Link.

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Questions must be submitted in writing by no later than 4pm on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Please send your written questions to Delia Harrington at dharrington@chelseama.gov. Responses to received questions will be posted by 4 p.m. on Friday, October 16, 2026, to this webpage.

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The City of Chelsea reserves the right to withdraw this Call for Artists at any time without penalty.

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Materials needed for Submission

 

Artist information 
 

• Contact information: Artist name and contact information—phone number, email address, and mailing address. Team applications should identify a primary contact for the team. 

• Artist(s)’ digital portfolio. If available, provide links to the artist's website, portfolio, Instagram, or social media platform. 

Artist/Artist Team Experience

 

In one PDF document, please include the following:

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• Resumes for lead artist and key team members (if applicable), 2 page maximum per resume

• Artist bio: 500 word maximum. Team applications should provide brief bios of all team members.

• Work samples: include written descriptions and images of 3-5 related projects, such as figurative statues identifiable individuals. Please include the title, year, medium, and size.

• Written descriptions of 3-5 examples of relevant projects, including public art design and fabrication, community engagement & commemorative work. identify which team members are associated with each project. Upload this as an attachment to your submission form.

• Contact information for three references who can speak to the artist/artist team’s experience and readiness to execute this project

• Artist Statement - Please provide a written response to each of the following questions:

  • Why does this public art opportunity interest you/your artist team?

  • How does John Ruiz's life and legacy speak to you/your artist team?

  • What approach or values do you/your artist team bring to artwork?

 

These materials should speak to the artist/artist team’s experience with creating large-scale, figurative statues, and working with site-specific themes to create visually impactful statues that reflect an individual’s legacy and the vibrant character of a community.
 

If selected as finalists, three to five (3-5) artists or artist teams will develop their own design proposal, including a maquette, or 3D small-scale model for the John Ruiz statue. Their maquettes and other design documents will then be reviewed by the Selection Committee and shared with the public for feedback. The Selection Committee will then recommend one final design, which will be created in collaboration with relevant City of Chelsea staff. ​

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Timeline

 

• Call for Artists opens: 10/9/26

• Virtual Info Session 10/21, 12-1 p.m. ET via Zoom.

• Deadline to Submit Written Question to dharrington@chelseama.gov: 4 p.m. ET on 10/21/26

• Application deadline: 11/5/26

• Public comment period on Finalist designs: January 2027

• Artist Selection Announced: February 2027

• Statue completed by: June 30, 2027  

• Installation: Summer 2027

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5. Copyright 

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The City of Chelsea respects all rights protected by the Massachusetts Art Preservation Act (M.G.L. c.231 § 85S) and the federal Visual Artists Rights Act (17 U.S.C. § 106A). The artist will retain copyright of both the completed artwork and any preliminary visual material developed for the artwork. The artist agreement explicitly grants the City a non-exclusive, unlimited license to display the artwork publicly and use high-quality documentation still and moving images of the work across multimedia platforms, print publications, presentations, and online archives in perpetuity, for any reason.

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Learn More 
 

Virtual Info Session:

 

10/21, 12-1 p.m. ET via Zoom.

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Contact: 

 

Delia Harrington – Manager of Arts, Culture & the Creative Economy

dharrington@chelseama.gov
617-466-4103

 

6. Appendix

Appendix 1: Site Images & Dimensions 

​Download John Ruiz Park site images and dimensions.

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Appendix 2: Background on John Ruiz 

Find more background information on John Ruiz via Wikipedia.

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Appendix 3: Artist Selection Rubric​

Download the artist selection rubric.​​

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Appendix 4: Finalist Artist Agreement

​​Download artist agreement for finalists.​​​