Midtown Square Public Art Call

The Midtown Square, located at 23rd & Union in the historic Central Area of Seattle, is seeking artists for eight public art opportunities. The project is a private development of Lake Union Partners and was informed by Community Design Open Houses held in October and November 2018, where residents articulated the significance of building and public space design.

The overarching arts plan theme is "Reverence and Discovery," rooted in values that recognize the area's rich heritage and welcome multi-generational interaction. The public art will reflect the heritage and culture of the Central Area, with opportunities for local artists to collaborate with the community, architects, and developer on permanent public installations. A broad selection of diverse artistic styles, perspectives, and mediums will be represented.

Eligible artists must be visual artists with strong connections to the Central Area's predominantly African American history and culture, demonstrated experience working with communities, and ability to work with architects, designers, and fabricators. Individual artists or collaborations may apply. Emerging artists are encouraged to apply. This is a national call. Artists may apply for up to two locations. Eight locations are available with budgets ranging from $15,000 to $61,200 (including commission and materials). Submission materials include an artist bio (up to 2,500 characters), a statement of connection to the Central District (up to 1,500 characters), a description of proposed installation approach and themes (up to 1,500 characters), and up to eight images of past work. Finalists will be notified and provided a stipend to submit a full design proposal. An optional artist workshop will be held August 24, 2019, at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, 104 17th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144. Selection will be based on quality of concept and past work, creativity of approach, relevance of concept proposal, and visual and technical sophistication. The full art plan with location descriptions is available at https://www.23andunion.com.