City of Chicago - Public Art, Light and Infrastructure Prequalified List

The Chicago Public Art Program, in collaboration with the Department of Planning and Development and the Department of Transportation, invites submissions to this Request for Qualifications to be included in a pre-qualified list for the development of future lighting-based public art projects in the City of Chicago. The intent is to identify qualified artists and artist teams with demonstrated experience and expertise in facilitating community engagement, design, permitting, fabrication and installation of significant public art lighting and lighting of infrastructure projects.

The prequalified list will be utilized for a range of public art lighting projects that will enliven city infrastructure including bridges, roadways, streetscapes and viaducts with creative and impactful lighting installations. Artists and artist teams selected for the list will be eligible to receive direct commissions and/or to compete with other prequalified artists for these projects. Inclusion on the list may be required eligibility criteria for upcoming public art lighting projects. Eligibility will extend until December 31, 2024. Future lighting projects will be made available via Requests for Proposals, with project budgets ranging from $500,000 to $5 million. DCASE anticipates a total of five to ten lighting projects over the next three years with the first RFP being issued by the fourth quarter of 2021.

Applicants must be artists or artist teams based in the continental United States with significant experience in light-based design and public art, including experience working with government and municipal agencies on projects intersecting with public infrastructure. Each artist must be a professional with at least a two-year history of professional light-based art practice, specialized training in light-based art, demonstrated success in creating high-quality work suited for public spaces, and recognition as a professional by peers and experts. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, U.S. citizens or permanent legal residents, and not enrolled in undergraduate or graduate visual arts coursework as of May 14, 2021. Work sample requirements: 10 images (required), 0-2 videos (optional), for a total of 10-12 samples.