City of Chicago: 12th District Police Station Percent for Art Commission

The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) invites Chicagoland-based professional artists to submit qualifications for a public art commission on the Triangle Plaza, located directly across from the 12th District Police Station on the Near West Side, between Blue Island Avenue, Racine, and 14th Place.

The 12th District Police Station Percent for Art Commission seeks artists and artist teams to develop an outdoor sculpture for a plaza approximately 4,000 square feet (310 foot perimeter). Following landscaping improvements in 2018, local residents and 12th District staff have expressed a desire for an artist to create a sculpture that will create a sense of place, celebrate the neighborhood's rich history, and promote exchange among diverse local residents. This opportunity is open to Chicagoland-based artists and artist teams with demonstrated experience completing large-scale, outdoor public art projects. DCASE will convene a selection panel of arts professionals, 12th District staff, elected officials, and community representatives to review applications and select 3-4 finalists, who will be commissioned to develop public art proposals. Finalists will present design proposals and a final artist or artist team will be selected.

Successful proposals should approach the site with bold and creative vision sensitive to the surrounding neighborhood and its diverse residents, consider existing landscaping, maintain plaza accessibility and functionality, and include elements of appropriate size, scale, and orientation to engage viewing from multiple vantage points. Artwork must be engineered to withstand environmental demands; only durable and resilient media will be considered. Finalists will receive a $3,000 honorarium to develop proposals. The artwork commission is $177,000, inclusive of all costs and fees for design, structural engineering, fabrication, site preparation, and installation. Artists will be required to obtain structural engineering documents from a structural engineer certified in Illinois. DCASE will cover costs associated with required environmental monitoring for soil disruptions. Applications must include 6-10 images of past large-scale public art projects, an annotated image list, a 2-page resume or CV, a 1-page letter of interest, and proof of Illinois residency (copy of Illinois Driver's License or State ID, front and back). One optional video of no more than 2 minutes may be submitted. Contact Lydia Ross, Director of Public Art, at [email protected] or (312) 744-7649 for questions.