City of Phoenix Art and Culture ¡Sombra!

In October 2023, Bloomberg Philanthropies selected Phoenix as one of eight winners of its Public Art Challenge. This unique grant program, launched in 2014, awards $1 million to support temporary public art projects that address important civic issues in cities nationwide and showcases the potential of artists to act as civic leaders. Phoenix's project, ¡Sombra! Experiments in Shade has commissioned nine artists to create shading and cooling installations in response to extreme urban heat. From April – September 2025, the installations will be temporarily located in neighborhood parks throughout Phoenix.

Meet the Artists

The artists were selected from nearly 80 submissions from across the U.S. by a diverse panel of specialists from the City of Phoenix’s Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, the Office of Innovation, Arts and Culture, and local and national artists and design professionals.

The winning artists were chosen for their public art concepts, which use effective, experimental, and innovative materials and processes, creative themes, and community engagement activities.

Learn More about the ¡Sombra! Artists

Artwork Design Concepts

After months of research, collaborating with local fabricators and City staff, and reviewing drawings with a structural engineer, the artists have completed their design concepts. Each installation takes a different approach to address extreme urban heat and is uniquely designed for their respective park locations.

Stay tuned for behind-the-scenes looks and event information!

Learn More about the Design Concepts

Artist Support

Sombra Lead Artists.PNG

The Project Team, led by Phoenix Arts and Culture, also includes two Phoenix artists, Fausto Fernandez (L) and Maria Salenger (R), who will work closely with the selected artists to develop and implement their proposed ideas fully.

Get Involved

¡Sombra! will include workshops, educational activities, and events for artists, civic leaders, and residents to discover new, creative ways to adapt to Phoenix’s extreme urban heat.

Questions?

For questions or more information, please contact Carrie Brown, deputy director, at carrie.brown@phoenix.gov.

The project is a collaboration between Arts and Culture, Parks and Recreation, the Office of Innovation, the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, and the Office of Mayor Kate Gallego.

‭(Hidden)‬ Call for Proposals - Deadline: February 12

Download the Call for Proposals Descargue las instrucciones de la propuesta