DuSable Park Public Art: Honoring Native Voices

The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), in partnership with the Chicago Park District, invites artists and artist teams to submit qualifications for a significant public art commission at the future DuSable Park. The park will be a site of remembrance and celebration of Chicago's early history. This artwork will uplift Native voices, honoring Indigenous inhabitants' continued presence and their foundational role in the origins of Chicago. The artwork will tell a story of alliance, cultural exchange, and enduring vibrancy. The budget for this permanent artwork is $500,000, inclusive of all costs and fees associated with design, engineering, fabrication, site preparation, installation, and related expenses.

This commission is part of the Chicago Monuments Project (CMP), an initiative launched in 2020 to confront inequities in the city's collection of monuments and memorials. CMP prioritizes new works that reflect the city's diversity—particularly those representing Native peoples, Black and Brown communities, and women—and that promote healing through public art. DuSable Park is a 3.5-acre peninsula located at the confluence of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan, east of Lake Shore Drive and bounded by the Ogden Slip. The site dimensions for the commissioned piece will be 10' W by 10'L with the artwork no taller than 12' and total weight not exceeding 1.5 tons.

Following the RFQ deadline, a selection panel will review all submissions and shortlist 3–5 finalists, each of whom will be commissioned to develop a conceptual design for the site. Finalists will each receive $1,000 to develop their proposals. Selection criteria include artistic excellence, relevance to the project's themes and community, and feasibility to execute within budget, schedule, and site conditions. Construction is anticipated to begin in Spring 2026, with completion projected in Quarter 3 of 2027.