Alexandria City Hall Public Art Commission

Alexandria's Public Art Program is seeking an artist to create a visually-compelling suspended artwork for the renovation of City Hall. The current City Hall, built in 1871, is undergoing major updates to repair aging building components and improve its circulation and functionality as a civic center. The ground floor will be re-envisioned as a community-centered space with a new atrium featuring natural light and exposed historic architectural elements. A suspended work of art will be commissioned to celebrate Alexandria's future and inspire those entering the newly renovated building.

The project budget, inclusive of design, fabrication, and installation, may not exceed $200,000. The selected artist or artist team will work with the City to develop plans for public art, participate in community engagement, meet regularly with City representatives, develop a concept proposal with renderings and narrative description, present to City stakeholders and the Public Art Task Force, obtain professionally certified drawings if needed, fabricate and install the artwork, and provide a maintenance plan. Artwork will be located in areas with high pedestrian volumes and should be highly durable and low maintenance.

Applicants must demonstrate artistic merit, prior public art experience with projects of similar scale and scope, experience collaborating with City staff and design professionals, effective communication and organizational skills, and probability of successful project execution. Artists must be 18 years or older and have prior public art experience. Submissions should include a brief letter describing interest and alignment with project goals, work samples including suspended works, a CV/resume, and 3-5 references. Artists can submit up to two applications. Selected artists will be required to sign a contract with the City of Alexandria and may be required to obtain a Certificate of Insurance for general liability coverage.