City of Seattle: Aurora Ave N Corridor Improvements Project

The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS), in partnership with Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), seeks an artist to develop site-specific artwork and design elements for the Aurora-Licton Corridor Neighborhood Street Fund (NSF) Project. The selected artist will work with SDOT and SDOT consultants from design through construction developing art installations along Aurora Ave. N. between N. 85 St. and N. 105 St.

This project creates improved crossings of Aurora Ave. N. at N. 92 St. and N. 100 St. for people walking and biking, with a significant art component requested by the Aurora-Licton Urban Village. The goal is to create distinctive art at multiple points along Aurora, especially at N. 85 St., N. 105 St., and near the pedestrian bridge at N. 102 St. Depending on the cost of each individual piece, additional pieces could be installed at N. 90 St., N. 92 St., N. 95 St., and N. 100 St. The community vision emphasizes developing a distinctive spirit for the neighborhood through vibrant, welcoming art that revitalizes Aurora Ave. N. and creates a progression of ideas legible to all modes of transit: pedestrians, motorists, and bus riders. The art should be colorful and vibrant with presence during day and night, and may investigate potential for work that "lights up" at night through reflectivity or solar energy.

Eligibility is open to professional artists or artist teams residing in Oregon or Washington with prior public art experience. Students are not eligible. The total artwork project budget is $197,400, with contracting in two phases: design and engineering for $30,000 and fabrication and installation for $167,400. Applications must include a letter of interest (not to exceed 2,000 characters), résumé, three references, up to 16 images, and an image identification list (not to exceed 500 characters per image). Selection will occur in two rounds: first, a panel of arts professionals, client representatives, and community members will review materials and identify up to four finalists; second, finalists will be interviewed and one artist will be selected. Applicants will be notified by email in March 2017. Project timeline: 30% design by April 2017, 100% design by end of 2017, construction begins mid-2018. Contact Kristen Ramirez at [email protected] or (206) 615-1095.