McLean Community Center Public Art Project - Typographical Sculpture

McLean Community Center is accepting qualifications from artists or artist teams for a public art project in McLean, Virginia. The permanent work of art will be installed at 1234 Ingleside Avenue in Spring 2025. The selected artist/team will design, fabricate and install a permanent typographic work of art based on MCC letters/logo that will welcome residents to the McLean Community Center and provide place-making for the area. MCC is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025, and the sculpture is part of the anniversary plans.

The installation site is located in a grassy area adjacent to the public sidewalk near the plaza entrance of the building, at the corner of Ingleside Avenue and Oak Ridge Avenue. The artist/team will be responsible for designing, fabricating and installing the work. The $80,000 artist fee includes design, materials, fabrication, insurance, travel, packing, shipping, installation and a maintenance plan for the artwork. All necessary site preparation, such as the concrete base and junction box for lighting will be provided by McLean Community Center. Artists invited to submit a proposal and interview will receive an honorarium of $500.

Project design objectives include site-specific, impactful design that increases visibility and identity of the MCC, engages the community, and builds civic pride. The design must be welcoming, recognizable from a distance with a strong day and nighttime presence, engaging from all angles, and preference will be given to interactive elements such as seating while ensuring safety. Application deadline is August 16, 2024. Finalists will be notified in mid-September 2024, with finalist submissions due October 11, 2024 and interviews in late October 2024. Final artist selection and award of contract will occur in early November 2024, with final design review in January 2025 and installation in April 2025.