City of Chicago Riverwalk East Public Art Design Project

The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), in collaboration with the Chicago Department of Fleet and Facility Management (2FM), invites professional artists and artist teams to submit qualifications for a public art design project along Riverwalk East, located on the south bank of the Chicago River between Michigan Avenue and Lake Shore Drive. This opportunity is open to artists and artist teams with a demonstrated history of completing large-scale, outdoor public art projects, with preference for those with experience completing large-scale art and infrastructure projects. There is no residency requirement.

Following the application deadline, DCASE will convene a panel of arts professionals to review submissions and select 3-4 finalists, who will be commissioned to develop comprehensive public art design proposals responding to multiple sites along Riverwalk East. Finalists will receive a $10,000 honorarium to develop proposals. The projected budget for final commission and implementation of artwork is $1,000,000 - $3,000,000. Finalists will have an opportunity to tour the site, meet with stakeholders, review existing plans, and receive community input. They will work in collaboration with architects Muller2, 2FM, and DCASE staff to develop comprehensive public art plans responding to both current site conditions and forthcoming developments. Following a design development phase, finalists will present their design proposals to cultural, city, and community stakeholders.

Successful proposals will navigate site conditions with bold and creative vision while preserving the integrity of the natural environment and the accessibility and functionality of infrastructure, recreational, and pedestrian areas. Designs should include elements of appropriate size, scale, and orientation to engage viewing from multiple vantage points including the Riverwalk, the river itself, and street level above. Only durable and resilient media will be considered, though integrated light- and/or sound-based elements are also of interest in some areas. Applications must include ten images of past large-scale public art and infrastructure projects, an annotated image list with project details, client references for at least three projects, a two-page resume or CV, and a one-page letter of interest. One optional video of no more than two minutes may also be submitted. Artist teams must include a professional lead artist and may include specialists such as architects, designers, fabricators, and engineers.