Municipality of Anchorage: Port of Alaska – Administration Building Public Art Commission

The Municipality of Anchorage is inviting qualified artists to create public artwork proposals for the Port of Alaska's Administration building located at 1857 Anchorage Port Road, Anchorage, AK 99501. The art selection jury intends to commission two separate works of art to be permanently installed at the facility. The total budget for commissioned artwork is $64,700, with $32,350 allocated for each location. The Port of Alaska's Administration building is scheduled for substantial completion by February 2024, with artwork installation to be coordinated with the Curator of Public Art and the Port of Alaska.

Location 1 ($32,350) is limited to the observation deck railing on the third floor. The metal railing is composed of vertically oriented bars on the north and west facing sides. The railing is approximately 3'6" in height, with the south-facing railing approximately 25'4" long and the east-facing railing approximately 64'7" long. Proposals may include a complete replacement of the railing or a retrofit that incorporates artwork into the existing railing. All proposals must meet building code requirements with a minimum height requirement of 42" above the walking surface and a maximum opening width of 4" in diameter. Location 2 ($32,350) encompasses the facility's exterior façade, with two preferred sites: the southeast face of the building and the wall within the observation deck area. The jury is interested in seeing murals for this location, which may incorporate various mediums including metals, woods, composite materials, lighting and light responsive materials, and may include low relief. The exterior walls are composed of insulated metal panels and cannot be pierced or punctured; proposals should consider application of materials through adhesion, mechanical fastening, or a combination thereof.

For both locations, proposals should incorporate marine and maritime themes, exploring topics such as western and Alaska Native maritime histories, constellation charting, Alaska's connection to global harbor networks, and surrounding wildlife and ecosystems. The Port of Alaska is a marine industrial zone with controlled access and accounts for 50% of all freight shipped into Alaska. Proposals should be durable and capable of withstanding Alaska's harsh winters and the high salinity present in the port area. The jury seeks contemporary proposals that introduce color and vibrancy, with consideration for visibility from multiple perspectives including ships, Government Hill residents, Downtown Anchorage, facility staff, port users, and overhead flights. Lighting and light responsive materials are encouraged, but strong uplighting is not permitted due to impact on military flights overhead. Applicants may submit proposals for one or both locations, with each location submission made separately. Budgets cover all costs associated with commissioning artwork including design, fabrication, travel and accommodations, transportation, installation, photographic documentation, catalog documentation, and an identifying plaque. Any permitting, engineer fees, or structural modification fees required must be paid by the artist. State laws related to public construction, including licensing, insurance, bonding, and payment of prevailing wage rates, may apply.