City of Chicago Altgeld Gardens Branch Library Public Art Opportunity

The City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), the Chicago Public Library (CPL), and the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) invite artists to participate in a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for an artwork to be installed at the new Altgeld Gardens Branch Library. The library will be located in a new architecturally significant building designed by KOO. The building will house a daycare and community center in addition to the library. Residents of the local community have expressed a desire for an artwork that reflects beauty and their enduring commitment to each other and their community with a hopeful vision of the future, aware of the historical and environmental issues that have defined the neighborhood.

The Altgeld Gardens mixed-use building is a 40,000 square foot facility sited at the town center of the Altgeld Gardens public housing development. The building's curvilinear perimeter echoes the arched forms of adjacent structures and the curved streets of the surrounding site plan. The building is pursuing LEED Gold Certification through sustainable strategies including a new stormwater management system, heat island reduction, geothermal technology, and other energy conservation measures.

Following a limited invitational request for qualifications, DCASE, CPL, and CHA will solicit proposals from 3 to 5 artists for an artwork that engages the library's windows. Suitable artwork media options include archival vinyl installed on the lights (nothing other than film may be applied directly to the glass), objects installed in the soffit, or elements painted or applied to the wall adjacent to the window. Each finalist will receive a $1,000.00 honorarium to develop a proposal. The projected budget for final commission and implementation is $65,000.00, inclusive of all costs necessary to complete the project, including design, fabrication, site preparation, installation, and insurances. Submissions should include a one-page letter stating your interest in and approach to the project, 6 to 10 images of relevant artwork, and a CV (one per team member if applying as a team).