Zokaites

City of Chandler — Regular Meeting (2022-04-19)

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BZ

Z O K A I T E S  S C U L P T U R E  L . L . C .  
B O B B Y  Z O K A I T E S
1 4 1  H U  E S T A  D R ,  T E M P E ,  A Z  8 5 2 8 2
U N I T E D  S T A T E S
W W W . B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S . C O M

B O B B Y Z O KA I T E S
P U B L I C  A R T  +  F I N E  A R T  +  S C U L P T U R E
Z O K A I T E S  S C U L P T U R E  L . L . C .
P R O P O S A L
B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S . C O M  —  I G :  @ B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S
1 4 1  H U  E S TA  D R ,  T E M P E ,  A Z  8 5 2 8 2  -  + 1 ( 5 4 0 ) 3 9 2 - 2 5 4 1  -  Z O K A I T E S S C U L P T U R E @ G M A I L . C O M  -  B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S . C O M
To the Chandler Fire Department Public Art Review Committee: 
Thank you for the opportunity to present a design for the Chandler Fire Department. With civil servants in my own 
family, I know that each department carries within it its own nuanced sense of community, honor, pride and camaraderie, 
and as such, the insights provided by Chief Hargis proved invaluable across all design decisions.
For Station No. 2, I have designed a 20’ tall, interactive steel sculpture titled, The Fire’s Siren: Awooga. In thinking about 
building a sculpture representative of the fire service, I started with a brainstorming on what objects could carry 
meaning as central motifs: the ladder, fire hydrants, Dalmatians, the Maltese cross, images of firefighters running into 
burning buildings, among others. I read about the development of the Maltese insignia across the centuries, visited the 
Museum of Flame in Tempe, and perused the year-end statements celebrating the accomplishments of the Department. 
This research began to pose further questions: how do you build an unclimbable ladder? did we even see a dog at the site 
visit?
I began concepting the form around this idea of the ladder. Ladders, as a design motif reference all sorts of things:
challenge and achievement; daring and dexterity; it speaks to labor and teamwork. However, as a public art piece, the 
ladder should be functionally unclimbable. And so, pragmatically, each ‘rung’ is articulated on the four primary sides of 
the sculpture by a debossed rectangle, 3” high, 11” wide and 2” deep, with a mitered edge of significant slope. Titling this 
low-relief backwards creates an overhung surface with no real gripping points. These depressions are sized appropriately 
to host the public-facing plaques of memoriam that honor the fallen. 
Abstracting the ladder in this way, began to influence the overall form; it became a loose visual reference to an 
apartment building, or a fire hydrant. But what should be at the top of this unclimbable ladder? On our site tour, the 
Chief and others spoke proudly of the range of services provided to the local community and the many tiers and tactics 
of outreach into the neighborhoods. It seemed natural that this artwork could not only be an identifier or place and an 
honorific, but also an opportunity for further engagement and interaction with the community. Having built a hand-crank 
siren before, and with the obvious and pertinent associations here, this became the chosen avenue for adding greater di­
mensionality to the sculpture by way of new tactility, interactivity, and sound! This addition also became the design nod 
to the Maltese Cross. 
Articulating the voice and vision of Chandler Fire Station No. 2 in a sculptural aesthetic that is bold, colorful, engaging 
and enduring will provide an iconic visual statement of honor, memoriam, and community connection. Thank you for your 
time, consideration, and the opportunity to design this work. 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
Sincerely,   
	
	
	
	
        	
	
	
	
	
    
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
          BOBBY ZOKAITES

P R O P O S A L
B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S . C O M  —  I G :  @ B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S
B O B B Y Z O KA I T E S
P U B L I C  A R T  +  F I N E  A R T  +  S C U L P T U R E 	
   
Z O K A I T E S  S C U L P T U R E  L . L . C .
1 4 1  H U  E S TA  D R ,  T E M P E ,  A Z  8 5 2 8 2  -  + 1 ( 5 4 0 ) 3 9 2 - 2 5 4 1  -  Z O K A I T E S S C U L P T U R E @ G M A I L . C O M  -  B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S . C O M
P R O P O S A L

P R O P O S A L
B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S . C O M  —  I G :  @ B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S
B O B B Y Z O KA I T E S
P U B L I C  A R T  +  F I N E  A R T  +  S C U L P T U R E 	
     
Z O K A I T E S  S C U L P T U R E  L . L . C .
1 4 1  H U  E S TA  D R ,  T E M P E ,  A Z  8 5 2 8 2  -  + 1 ( 5 4 0 ) 3 9 2 - 2 5 4 1  -  Z O K A I T E S S C U L P T U R E @ G M A I L . C O M  -  B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S . C O M
“ T H E  F I R E ’ S  S I R E N :  AW O O G A”

P R O P O S A L
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B O B B Y Z O KA I T E S
P U B L I C  A R T  +  F I N E  A R T  +  S C U L P T U R E 	
Z O K A I T E S  S C U L P T U R E  L . L . C .
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C O N C E P T  S K E T C H

P R O P O S A L
B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S . C O M  —  I G :  @ B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S
B O B B Y Z O KA I T E S
P U B L I C  A R T  +  F I N E  A R T  +  S C U L P T U R E 	
      
Z O K A I T E S  S C U L P T U R E  L . L . C .
1 4 1  H U  E S TA  D R ,  T E M P E ,  A Z  8 5 2 8 2  -  + 1 ( 5 4 0 ) 3 9 2 - 2 5 4 1  -  Z O K A I T E S S C U L P T U R E @ G M A I L . C O M  -  B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S . C O M
3 dimentional maltese
     mechanical siren
Unclimbable 
ladder
Handcrank
20'
62"
68"
C O N C E P T  S K E T C H
*A machinal siren is a wind turbine inside a slotted casing. This 
is a pump-like mechanism; picture a waterwheel mounted 
horizontally and instead of using water to drive the wheel, 
the wheel drives the water; air in this instance. Spinning this wheel 
really fast will force air columns across the open slots in its casing, 
causing a recognizable siren sound.
*

P R O P O S A L
W W W . B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S . C O M
B O B B Y Z O KA I T E S
P U B L I C  A R T  +  F I N E  A R T  +  S C U L P T U R E
Z O K A I T E S  S C U L P T U R E  L . L . C .
1 4 1  H U  E S TA  D R ,  T E M P E ,  A Z  8 5 2 8 2  -  + 1 ( 5 4 0 ) 3 9 2 - 2 5 4 1  -  Z O K A I T E S S C U L P T U R E @ G M A I L . C O M  -  B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S . C O M
B U D G E T
MATERIALS 
CONTRACTING
April/May 
Steel 
$10,880
ENGINEERING
June
Hardware
$1,360
   - foundation can be cast -
Misc.
$1,360
FABRICATION
July-Oct
Subtotal
$13,600
   Order Materials
   14 days 
   Laser-Cutting
   10 days 
LABOR
   Welding / Fabrication
   8 weeks
Engineering
$5,000
   Powdercoating
   10 days
Laser-Cutting 
$6,800
   3-Part Poly Paint
   10 days
Assembly / Metal Fab / Welding 
$13,700
   Final Assembly
     3 days
Powdercoat
$5,100
Transportation
$1,700
INSTALLATION
Oct/Nov
Installation 
$1,700
Subtotal
$34,000
ADMINISTRATIVE
Insurance
$1,360
Documentation
$2,040
Tax 
$6,800
Subtotal
$10,200
ARTIST COMPENSATION
Artist Fee
Engagement, Design, Project Management
$10,200
Total
$68,000
PROJECTED PROJECT BUDGET
$68,000
T I M E L I N E

P O R T F O L I O
B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S . C O M  —  I G :  @ B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S
B O B B Y Z O KA I T E S
P U B L I C  A R T  +  F I N E  A R T  +  S C U L P T U R E 	
   
Z O K A I T E S  S C U L P T U R E  L . L . C .
1 4 1  H U  E S TA  D R ,  T E M P E ,  A Z  8 5 2 8 2  -  + 1 ( 5 4 0 ) 3 9 2 - 2 5 4 1  -  Z O K A I T E S S C U L P T U R E @ G M A I L . C O M  -  B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S . C O M
P R E V I O U S LY  S U B M I T T E D
M A T E R I A L S

P O R T F O L I O  I M A G E  L I S T  1 / 1
B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S . C O M  —  I G :  @ B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S
4 - 5  | The Oculus  |  PHOENIX COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL (AZ) | Fall 2015  |  $50,000 USD 
18’ x 18’ x 4’ — Powder-coated Steel, Polyurethane Panels.  A prime example of placemaking through a charette 
process, students decided on a spiral agave as the design concept for this permanent architecturally-integrated 
amenity. Then, working with architect Doug Brown, I designed and manufactured this object specifically for the 
Phoenix Country Day School. 
3  |  Tempe Streetcar  |  VALLEY METRO (AZ) | Spring 2020  |  $157,000 USD 
Expected to open in 2021, the Tempe Streetcar is a highly-anticipated lightrail expansion project in Tempe, AZ. I 
was selected to design, fabricate, and install sculptures at three stops along Apache Blvd. 
Antonym for a Tchotchke (pictured) — 20’ x 6’ x 2’, Steel and Automotive Paint. Abstracted air handlers on 
high perches overlook the streetcar stop at Dorsey Rd.. The contemporary presentation of seemingly arcane items 
remind viewers that Tempe is not only built around the industry of the college, but also thrives due to its other 
histories of manufacturing and industry. 
Superbloom — 16' x 2' x 2' ea., Steel, Automotive Paint, Polyurethane Panel, LED Lighting. This installation at 
Paseo Del Saber features 10 custom luminaries mounted to 5 antique lightposts. Nestled within university 
architecture similarly named for desert botanicals, this artwork is a colorful abstraction of the valley's famous 
wildflower superblooms.
Sign Remix — 20’ x 9’ x 5’, Steel, Automotive Paint, NeonFlex Lighting. Apache Boulevard, with its rich history of 
iconic signage, has remained a bellwether landscape for the continuous flux between university and city 
architecture, campus and urban life. In honor of this tradition, I’ve designed Sign Remix, blending historical signage 
with contemporary materials.
B O B B Y Z O KA I T E S
P U B L I C  A R T  +  F I N E  A R T  +  S C U L P T U R E 	
	
-  P O R T F O L I O  I N D E X  -
Z O K A I T E S  S C U L P T U R E  L . L . C .
1 - 2 |  A Time Machine Called Tinaja  |  CITY OF PHOENIX (AZ) | Spring 2020 |  $335,000 USD 
179’ x 74’ x 19’ – Steel, Polyurethane, LEDs, Concrete, Native Plantings. Working with the City’s Water Dept., 
Office of Arts & Culture and Dig Studio, we returned a defunct well site to its community as a set of sculptural 
arches, luminaries, perimeter fencing and a winding, landscaped-path using local students’ expressed desires for 
their walk to school as the foundation for the concepts. Project Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB9U­
w6X72yU
1 4 1  H U  E S TA  D R ,  T E M P E ,  A Z  8 5 2 8 2  -  + 1 ( 5 4 0 ) 3 9 2 - 2 5 4 1  -  Z O K A I T E S S C U L P T U R E @ G M A I L . C O M  -  B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S . C O M
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B O B B Y Z O KA I T E S
P U B L I C  A R T  +  F I N E  A R T  +  S C U L P T U R E
Z O K A I T E S  S C U L P T U R E  L . L . C .
B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S . C O M  —  I G :  @ B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S
1 4 1  H U  E S TA  D R ,  T E M P E ,  A Z  8 5 2 8 2  -  + 1 ( 5 4 0 ) 3 9 2 - 2 5 4 1  -  Z O K A I T E S S C U L P T U R E @ G M A I L . C O M  -  B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S . C O M
BIO
Bobby Zokaites is a U.S. based sculptor skilled in a variety of materials with a wealth of experience 
producing large scale works for private and public spaces. His industrious work ethic and urban design 
sense enable him to create distinctive works of art that foster new and dynamic relationships between 
community, site, history and the natural environment. Blurring the line between fine art, public 
sculpture, and collaborative practices, his work engages diverse audiences, humanizes public spaces, 
and often encourages participation with larger-than-life-sized artwork. Zokaites earned his BFA at New 
York College of Ceramics at Alfred University (2008) and his MFA in Sculpture at Arizona State 
University (2014). He recently completed two permanent municipal infrastructure projects in Arizona. 
It is integral to Zokaites' practice that his work connects residents to one another and their community 
in new ways, creating new and lasting experiences.
B I O  A N D  S T A T E M E N T  -  1 / 1
RECENT MEDIA FEATURES
The Visual Jazz of Bobby Zokaites
by Jeff Kronenfeld
Java Magazine May 2019
Meet Bobby Zokaites | Sculptor
Shoutout Arizona
April 2021
Bobby Zokaites: In His Own Words
Phoenix Art Museum Blog 
April 2021

T R U N C A T E D  C V  -  1 / 2
B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S . C O M  /  I G :  @ B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S
EDUCATION
2014	
MFA Sculpture —  Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
2008	
BFA Fine Art — New York State College of Ceramics, Alfred University, Alfred, NY
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2015 - Present	 Owner — Zokaites Sculpture, L.L.C., Tempe, AZ
2015 – 2017	
Faculty Associate— Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
2009 – 2011	
Site Manager— Franconia Sculpture Park, Shafer, MN
MEMBERSHIPS
2020 - Present	 International Sculpture Center
2018 - Present	 Royal Society of Sculptors
B O B B Y Z O KA I T E S
F I N E  A R T  +  S C U L P T U R E  +  P U B L I C  A R T 	
	
Z O K A I T E S  S C U L P T U R E  L . L . C .
1 4 1  H U  E S TA  D R ,  T E M P E ,  A Z  8 5 2 8 2 ,  U N I T E D  S TAT E S    -    + 1  ( 5 4 0 ) 3 9 2 - 2 5 4 1    -    Z O K A I T E S S C U L P T U R E @ G M A I L . C O M
PERMANENT PUBLIC ART
2022	
Sun Dials — Country Club Way Equestrian Path, City of Tempe, Tempe, AZ - $20,000 USD (design only)
2020 	 A Time Machine Called Tinaja — Community Greenspace Project, City of Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ - $335,000 USD (Zokaites Sculpture scope)
	
An Antonym for a Tchotchke, Superbloom, and Sign Remix — Tempe Streetcar, Valley Metro, Tempe AZ - $157,000 USD
2015 	 The Oculus, Phoenix Country Day School, Paradise Valley, AZ - $50,000 USD
TEMPORARY PUBLIC SCULPTURE
2022	
Yucca Oraxlie, Havana Street Biennial, Aurora, CO
2021	
Thwimp Thwomp, City of Tempe Sesquicentennial Festival, Tempe Beach Park, Tempe City Arts, Tempe, AZ
	
Magrathea, Merriweather District Artist In Residence Exhibition, Columbia, MD
2020	
8’ Weaving and Joshua Tree, Roadside Attraction, ArtFarmPHX, Valleywide, AZ
2019 	 Thwimp Thwomp, Arts in the Parks Initiative of Tempe City Arts, Tempe, AZ
	
Yucca Oraxlie, Peoria Public Library for the IN FLUX multi-city initiative, Peoria, AZ
	
Majestic Hoodoo, Majestic Park for the CONTEMPORARY Initiative, Las Vegas, NV
2016    	Data Play — collaboration with Vibrant Lives, Currents New Media Festival, New Mexico Arts Division, Santa Fe, NM
	
Data Play — collaboration with Vibrant Lives, Mesa Spark, Mesa Center for the Arts, Mesa Public Art Program, Mesa, AZ
	
Regeneration, The Orme School, Mayer, AZ
2015 	 Shifting Sand Lands, Scottsdale City Hall, Scottsdale Arts Festival, Scottsdale, AZ., Scottsdale Public Art Commission
2013	
Boone’s Flugelhorn, Gilbert, AZ., Commissioned by Gilbert Arts & Culture Board and Scottsdale Art Commission
2012	
The Machine the Sneetches Made , Paragraph Gallery, Kansas City, MO, Commissioned by the University of Missouri-Kansas City, MO
	
InterUrban — collaboration with Chris Carl, Paul Howe, and Sutton Demlong, Urbana, IL, Commissioned by Urbana Land Arts, Urbana, IL
	
Something to Write Home About — Collaboration with Gregory Sale, Glendale Jazz & Blues Fest, Glendale, AZ
	
Emerge, Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe, AZ
2010	
Thanksgiving, Franconia Sculpture Park, Shafer, MNs

T R U N C A T E D  C V  -  2 / 2
B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S . C O M  /  I G :  @ B O B B Y Z O K A I T E S
B O B B Y Z O KA I T E S
141 Hu Esta Dr., Tempe, AZ, 85281 - (540) 392-2541 - zokaitessculpture@gmail.com - www.bobbyzokaites.com
*Denotes exhibition catalog
**Denotes corresponding lecture
***Denotes solo exhibition
SELECT EXHIBITIONS
2023	
Spring Solo Exhibition, Mesa Art Center, Mesa, AZ***
2021	
Rocking S Art Ranch Opening Exhibition, Phoenix, AZ
	
Creative Gateways, Frederick Arts Council Art Center, Frederick, MD
	
Huephoria, Merriweather District/Howard Hughes Corp., Columbia, MD
	
Featured Artist: Bobby Zokaites, Stone Countertop Co., Tempe, AZ
	
Artlink Annual Juried Exhibition, Found:Re, Phoenix, AZ* 
2020	
Greater Together, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Phoenix, AZ
	
Confluence, Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction, CO**
2019 	 Mesa Prototyping Project Exhibition, Mesa Art Space Gallery, Mesa, AZ
	
Art d’Core Gala Exhibition, Warehouse 215 at Bentley Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
	
Artlink Juried Exhibition, Park Central, Phoenix, AZ*
2018	
DRAW, Tempe Center for the Arts, Tempe, AZ
	
Opening Exhibition, Where?House Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2016     Frankenstein, Hayden Library, Phoenix AZ
	
Vibrant Lives, Currents New Media Arts Festival, Santa Fe, NM
	
Franconia@Casket, 20th Small Sculpture Alumni Show, Minneapolis, MN
	
Mesa Spark, Mesa Center for the Arts, Mesa, AZ
	
Regeneration Art Show, The Orme School, Mayer, AZ
2015 	 Shifting Sand Lands, Scottsdale Arts Festival, Scottsdale, AZ
2014	
Where Tom Sawyer Wears A Business Suit, Grant St. Studios, Phoenix, AZ***
NOTABLE COLLECTIONS
Joshua Tree Desert Highlands, CA
E.L. Wood Braiding Co., NY
City of Phoenix, AZ
Valley Metro, AZ
Tempe Arts, Tempe, AZ
New Mexico Public Works, NM
Phoenix Country Day School, AZ	
iRobot Corporation, NJ	 	
	
Salem Art Works, NY
Franconia Sculpture Park, MN
Outer Space, NY
Wickerson Studios, KS 
Urbana Land Arts, IL
Private Collections
ARTIST RESIDENCIES
2021	
Merriweather District Artist in Residence (MDAIR), Columbia, MD
	
Joshua Tree Highlands Artist Residency (JTHAR), Joshua Tree, CA
2020	
Visiting Foundry Artist, Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction, CO. 
2018	
Mesa Prototyping Residency, Mesa Center for the Arts / Mesa C.A.R.E., AZ
	
Draw Residency and Exhibition, Tempe Center for the Arts, Tempe, AZ
2015	
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, KS
2012	
Urbana Land Arts, Urbana, IL
	
Franconia Sculpture Park, Hot Metal Residency, Shafer, MN
2008	
Salem Art Works, Salem, NY
	
Butley Mills Studio, US/UK Cast Iron Symposium, Suffix, England, UK
	
George Coles Art Foundry, Dorset, England, UK
HONORS  |  AWARDS  |  GRANTS
Non-university
2021	
Merriweather District AIR Residency, MD
	
Joshua Tree Highlands Artist Residency Fellowship, CA
	
Arizona Governor’s Arts Awards Nominee, AZ
2018	
CERF+ Get Ready Grant - CERF+
	
Arizona Governor’s Arts Awards Nominee, AZ
2013	
Awesome Without Borders Project Grant, Awesome Foundation
2007	
Intern Artist Fellowship – Franconia Sculpture Park,  Shafer, MN
Arizona State University	
2013	
Special Talent Award
	
Arizona Sculpture Fellowship
2012 	 Special Talent Award
2012	
Discovery Scholarship
Alfred University	
2008	
Student Research and Travel Grant (to USUK Iron Symposium, UK)
              Student Research and Travel Grant (to CAA, Los Angeles, CA)
2006	
Argus Award (Undergraduate Research Grant) 
2004–08 	
Presidential Scholarship
WORKSHOPS, LECTURES, AND BIBLIOGRAPHY AVAILABLE 
UPON REQUEST. (Omitted for length.)

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