MLK Jr. Drive Gateway at Northside Drive

The City of Atlanta Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs invites professional architects, designers, and artists to submit qualifications for a site-specific Gateway artwork spanning Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, installed 170 feet from the intersection of Northside Drive in Atlanta, Georgia (opposite the Mercedes-Benz Stadium). The Gateway will arch over the roadway, stand a minimum of 20 feet tall, and span 85 feet. The artwork will activate the width of the roadway and serve as an entry point to the 7.2-mile east-west corridor connecting the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta University Center, Atlanta BeltLine, Westview Cemetery, and MARTA bus stops. Lighting and sculptural elements that enliven the entry point are mandatory. The gateway artwork should be contemporary, innovative, and transformative.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive corridor carries approximately 28,000 motorists daily and is served by MARTA bus routes and heavy rail stations. The area's culture is internationally significant, home to intellectual leaders of human rights including W.E.B. DuBois, Booker T. Washington, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Renew Atlanta initiative sponsoring this installation aims to address vehicular and pedestrian safety concerns, provide additional pedestrian and bicycle access through new multi-use trails, and introduce a linear park along the corridor.

The all-inclusive budget is $250,000, covering all artist fees, engineering, fabrication, foundations, lighting, pedestal design and build, installation, insurance, permitting, and travel costs. Payment will be made in three draws: $50,000 upon contract, $100,000 at 50% completion, and $100,000 upon completion. Applicants must demonstrate portfolios showing monumental scale public art experience and ability to manage large public art projects. Selection criteria include artist merit and technical expertise, demonstrated successful and innovative approaches to similar public art projects, ability to execute work in a culturally rich and complex area, and expressed interest in the project. Required application materials include a one-page statement of interest (minimum 10pt font) addressing conceptual approach, site aspects of interest, public engagement strategy, and contribution to existing body of work, and a résumé outlining professional accomplishments (maximum two pages per person) with three professional references.