Gateway District Public Art

The Regional Arts & Culture Council invites artists and artist teams currently living in the United States to submit qualifications for a public art opportunity in Portland's Gateway District. The art budget is $60,000.

The site for this public art project is the exterior perimeter of the Oregon Clinic building, located at 1111 NE 99th, directly east of the Gateway Transit Center. The 3-story building is the first new, Class A office building in Gateway in 20 years. Opportunities for art include the paved areas around the exterior perimeter of the clinic building. The Selection Panel is seeking an artist whose vision for the site addresses the concepts of circulation and sustainability. Wind, sound, movement, and nature are all vital outdoor elements of this site, and the Selection Panel will be seeking artworks that speak to these characteristics. Any lighting that is part of an artwork will be required to conform with the building's LEED gold standard.

The Selection Panel will review artists' materials and identify up to three artists/teams to interview. Semi-finalists will be selected based on the quality of past work, a letter of interest, and professional references. The selected artist will initially be contracted for a design phase during which concepts, materials, and a final budget will be developed and approved by the Selection Panel. The design fee will be paid from a portion of the art budget. The remainder of the art budget will be set aside for all costs associated with the fabrication and installation of the proposed artwork. The $60,000 art budget covers design, fabrication, insurance, permits, and installation. The artwork must comply with public safety and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) issues and be easily maintained. The selected artist/team will be required to consult with an art conservator regarding the final design, fabrication, and installation plans for the proposed artwork.

Required application materials include: a Statement of Interest (5000 characters maximum) addressing what inspires you about the site and how this project fits into your current art practice; a résumé outlining professional accomplishments (individual resumes for each team member if applying as a team); ten (10) images of past work including details; an annotated image list including title, team members, media, dimensions, completion date, budget, project description, and corresponding image number; and three professional references with name, affiliated organization, email address, and phone number. Applications must be submitted online through the CaFE application system with no application fee. The submission deadline is Monday, November 17, 2008 at 11:59 PM Mountain Time.