Call for Public Artists for Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis

The City of Minneapolis invites public artists to apply to design new public artworks in concert with the Nicollet Mall Redesign. An artist informational meeting will be held February 12 at 3:30 p.m., with an application deadline of February 27 at midnight Mountain Standard Time.

Nicollet Mall is a linear outdoor space spanning nearly a mile that connects businesses and residents in downtown Minneapolis. Originally constructed in 1968 and renovated in the late 1980s, the Mall currently features the largest collection of public artworks in Minneapolis outside of the Walker Art Center's Sculpture Garden. The City and Minneapolis Downtown Council are working together to completely reconstruct the street and sidewalks for the 12 blocks of the Mall between Washington Avenue and Grant Street, with construction to be completed in 2016-2017. James Corner Field Operations, a landscape architecture and urban design practice renowned for projects including the High Line in New York City and Fresh Kills Park in Staten Island, is leading the redesign.

The City seeks public artists or artist teams (limited to two artists) to design new public artworks integrated into the Mall redesign. Artists must reside within the United States and be available during the project timeline, with the ability to personally attend finalist interviews. For most commissions, artists must have completed at least two major public or private commissions of $75,000 or more. Four commission opportunities are available: (A) Artist to Engage Local Artists to Create a Series of Suspended Lanterns ($225,000); (B) Artist to Design a Key Feature ($200,000); (C) Artist to Design and Create a Large Scale Iconic Artwork ($500,000); and (D) Artist to Work with the Design Team to Curate/Integrate Public Art into the Mall Design ($75,000). Applicants must submit 10 images. For reasonable accommodations or alternative formats, contact Mary Altman, Public Arts Administrator, at [email protected] or 612-673-3000.