49th Ward Public Art RFQ - 1532 W. Jarvis Ave

The City of Chicago's Public Art Menu Program invites professional artists, artist teams, and arts organizations living in Chicago with a demonstrated history of completing permanent, large-scale public art projects to submit qualifications for an outdoor mural commission at the Jarvis Redline Station. Emerging artists are encouraged to apply. The artwork will activate and enhance the eastern facade of the station, with the envelope for artwork approximately 12' H x 135' W (total wall dimensions approximately 12' H x 268' W). Artwork will be directly applied to the wall using paint or spray paint mediums, with an anticipated lifespan of a minimum of 5 years.

Successful proposals will approach the site with a bold and creative vision that emphasizes significant people and attributes from the community, making passers-by aware of the rich cultural, social, and practical resources in and around Jarvis Red Line Station. Designs will amplify the richness and vibrancy of the Rogers Park neighborhood and the greater Northside of Chicago, considering the surrounding area and providing a welcoming face to the community. Elements should be appropriately sized, scaled, and oriented to engage viewing from multiple vantage points, including pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

Applications must include: a one-page letter of interest, a two-page CV, six to ten images of past large-scale public art projects, an annotated image list with title, media, year completed, dimensions, location, project budget, timeline, and commissioning entity for each work. One optional video (up to two minutes) may be submitted. Finalists will be paid a $1,000 honorarium to develop proposals. The artwork commission is $60,000, inclusive of all costs and fees for design through fabrication, site preparation, and installation. Following the RFQ deadline, a selection panel will review applications and select 3-4 finalists to develop public art proposals. Finalists will present design proposals, and a final artist or artist team will be selected.