Civic Square Open Space Artwork Commission

Seattle's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City's Fleets and Facilities Department and Triad Development Inc., seeks one artist to serve on the design team planning the open space for the Civic Square development. The project is located downtown between Third and Fourth Avenues and James and Cherry Streets. The artist will work closely with landscape architecture firm Atelier Dreiseitl to develop integrated artwork for the public open space. Artists who work in glass or light/media are encouraged to apply. At completion of construction, the Civic Square open space and all its components, including any artwork, will be conveyed to the City.

The Civic Square design features extensive landscaping in terraces, retail buildings, water elements, an amphitheatre, pavilions, and seating areas. The design team has developed principles for the open space, including conceiving of the plaza as an "Urban Landscape Sculpture" that acknowledges historic regional and cultural contexts while applying sustainable practices. Water will be the primary medium, with three characteristic parts: the Upper Cascade representing the mountain landscape, the Plaza Fountain in the middle representing the urban landscape, and the Lower Cascade representing the Sound.

The competition is open to established professional artists who are residents of Washington, Oregon, California, or British Columbia. The Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs reserves the right to invite artists from elsewhere in the United States or Canada. Students are not eligible. One artist will be selected to work with Atelier Dreiseitl, Foster + Partners, and GGLO to create integrated plaza artwork. The total commission will be $250,000 to $300,000, depending on availability of funds for design, fabrication, and installation. The application deadline is 11:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, Friday, May 2, 2008. Artists will be notified of selection decisions by July 2008.