City of Seattle: Madison Street Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Art Project

The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, in partnership with Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), seeks an artist to develop site-specific artwork and design elements for the Madison Street Bus Rapid Transit Project (BRT). The selected artist will work with SDOT and SDOT consultants from design through construction of the new BRT.

The artist will work with project design consultants, SDOT, community representatives and the Office of Arts & Culture to develop permanent public art and design elements for the Madison Bus Rapid Transit project. The commissioned artist will develop artwork for one or two designated sites: a green space at 14th Avenue, Pike Street & Madison Street (which will convert a portion of public street pavement to pervious green space and may include use as a green stormwater biofiltration area), and/or a curb bulb at Union Street, 12th Avenue & Madison Street. Art strategies should transform the site(s) with permanent material applications. The desired artistic approach will create an experience that marks the transition from one neighborhood to another, changes in topography, and/or the rhythms of infrastructure and movement along the corridor for all modes of transit. The selected artist will need to address maintenance and the effects of vehicular exhaust, visibility and sightlines, heavy pedestrian traffic, and weather elements in the proposed concepts.

This call is open to professional artists or artist teams residing in Oregon or Washington. Artists with no prior public art experience are not eligible to apply. Students are not eligible. The total artwork project budget is $125,000, all inclusive of travel expenses, taxes and other project costs. Contracting will be done in two phases: design and engineering for $25,000 and fabrication and installation for $100,000. Applications must include a letter of interest (not to exceed 2,000 characters), résumé, three references, and up to 16 images with an image identification list (not to exceed 500 characters for each image). The selection will take place in two parts: a panel of arts professionals, client representatives and community members will review applicants' materials and identify up to four finalists to interview. Finalists will be interviewed and the panel will select one artist to be awarded the commission. Applicants will be notified of the panel's decision by email in January 2017.