Call for Public Art: Barton-Bandemer Park Pedestrian Tunnel, Ann Arbor, MI

The City of Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Services Area is seeking to commission an artist or artist team to design a unique public artwork for the new Barton-Bandemer Park Pedestrian Tunnel Project in Ann Arbor, MI. The concrete tunnel will house metal panels, mounted several inches off each wall, to hide lighting fixtures that will backlight the metal panels and provide ambient uplighting to the tunnel interior. The selected artist will design a 2D image to be laser cut from the metal panels. The community desires a work that positively reflects the themes of nature or the Huron River and integrates well into the park and trail's natural setting.

The Barton-Bandemer Park Pedestrian Tunnel will be a newly constructed pedestrian underpass below the Amtrak railroad to allow people to safely cross between Bandemer Park and the Barton Nature Area on Ann Arbor's northwest side. The tunnel, constructed of fifteen concrete box culvert segments, is 16' wide, 10' tall, and 60' long. Metal panels (each measuring 4' wide x 5' tall) will be attached to each side of the tunnel's interior to create a continuous surface (approximately 56' in length per side). Public safety requirements demand that any negative space in the design shall NOT exceed 4" in diameter and the design shall not include protrusions or other potential hazards that could create entrapments, snagging of clothing, or potential injury to public trail users. Artists must propose artwork for both sides of the tunnel interior and submit an overall drawing, sketch, elevation or vector image that encompasses the entirety of the design for each of the two interior walls, as well as a sample design for a single panel. Artists should propose an intended material and/or surface finish (corten steel, brushed aluminum, a powder-coated finish, or other). Stainless steel will not be considered for this project.

The budget for this commission is $8,500, which will be allocated to the final artist/team selected and is inclusive of all costs associated with the design of the project, including the artist's design fee, artist's assistant costs, the cost necessary to turn the final design into a vector image suitable for use by the fabricator, artist's time consulting with the fabricators and parks team, travel to and from the site, per diem expenses, project documentation, a contingency to cover unexpected expenses, and any other costs. The City of Ann Arbor will cover the cost of metal fabrication, installation, and lighting. Any artist or artist team residing in the United States can apply. The selected artist(s) must be able to deliver the final image in a vector format suitable for use by the metal fabricator. Artists do not need to know metal fabrication techniques or how to operate metal machining equipment. Construction on the new tunnel is anticipated to begin in Spring 2025 and be completed in Summer 2025. Semi-finalists will be paid a $500 honorarium for further developing their concept and creating site-specific proposals, renderings, and details. The finalist will be awarded in September 2024, with final design approval in December 2024 and fabrication completed and installation in Summer 2025.