Fifth and Walnut Streets Parking Garage Percent for Art Project

The City of Columbia, Missouri invites artists to apply for a public art project at the planned Fifth and Walnut Streets Parking Garage. The city seeks an artist or artist team to create new site-specific, original public artwork(s) for the garage. Works in a variety of durable media and forms will be considered. This project is a component of Columbia's Percent for Art Program, established in 1997, and is being implemented by the city's Office of Cultural Affairs.

The 10-level parking garage will be located in downtown Columbia, adjacent to the Police Department and Columbia's main United States Post Office, within walking distance of two city parks, the Boone County Courthouse Square, City Hall, and numerous downtown shops and restaurants. The garage will provide 655 public parking spaces, segregated and secure below-ground parking for 48 Columbia Police Department vehicles, storage areas for city departments, and wash bays for police vehicles. Approximately 13,000 square feet of mixed-use space is designated for the ground level for retail, office, or restaurant development. One percent of the overall construction project has been set aside for site-specific public art.

The budget for the site-specific public art has been established at $110,000, which must include all artist fees, materials, fabrication, shipping, installation, and other costs. The project is open to all artists and artist teams legally residing and eligible to work in the United States. Professional artists with experience in public art are encouraged to apply. All finalists will be invited to interview with the project selection panel and will receive an honorarium of $500, with reasonable travel expenses reimbursed. Applicants should submit a professional résumé emphasizing public art experience, contact information for two professional references, ten images of completed works with a detailed list, and a brief statement (1000 character limit) outlining their approach to the project. Applications must be submitted electronically through www.callforentry.org by midnight Mountain Standard Time on October 1, 2009.