City of Mountlake Terrace: Pedestrian Plaza Welcoming Art

The City of Mountlake Terrace, Washington invites regional and Pacific Northwest artists to submit letters of interest or audio/video statements of interest, statements of qualifications, resumes, and project renderings/examples of work. The city seeks to commission one artist or team of artists to design, fabricate, and install permanent public artwork in the Pedestrian Plaza located at the southwest corner of 236th Street SW and VanRy Blvd, adjacent to a future light rail station. The artwork area is approximately 350 square feet within the larger plaza area of around 2,000 square feet. Construction is planned to commence mid-2023 with completion in late 2023.

The selected artist or team will develop site-specific artwork relevant to the community that contributes to place-making and considers different audiences. The artwork should create a thematic or visual connection to Mountlake Terrace's past and future through interaction with the adjacent light rail station. Artists must demonstrate ability to participate in community outreach and actively engage with the City and OTAK representatives. The selected artist/team will receive a commission of $96,000 to design, fabricate, and install the artwork. Up to $4,000 total will be available to pay stipends for selected finalists to participate in Part 2 of the selection process. The overall project budget is all inclusive of travel expenses, Washington State Sales/Use Tax, and other project costs.

Applications must include: a letter of interest or video/audio statement of interest (not to exceed 1.5 minutes), résumé, statement of qualifications, three references with contact information, and up to 10 images with identification list. The selection process takes place in two parts. Part 1 involves review of initial submissions to identify up to six finalists for interviews. Part 2 requires finalists to submit detailed proposals including conceptual approach, design illustration, materials description, estimated costs, timeline, and installation requirements. Proposals will be evaluated on creativity and theme (0-20 points), function as a welcoming focal point (0-20 points), ability to complete within budget and timeline (0-20 points), planning and communication skills (0-10 points), ability to produce durable outdoor art (0-10 points), presentation skills (0-10 points), and references (0-10 points).