Public Art for Downtown Park, Auburn, WA

The City of Auburn, Washington is requesting qualifications from artists and/or artist teams to create new and engaging public artwork for a new Auburn Downtown Park. The park will be the centerpiece of Auburn's creative district in the heart of downtown, serving as a cross-block connection and gathering space that ties together a soon-to-be-built theater, the Postmark Center for the Arts, new residential housing, and the historic commercial area of Main Street. The park adds significant green space to the downtown core and seeks an art element that strengthens its ties to the arts, inspires creativity, and enriches the experience of plaza visitors and the community.

The City seeks an artist or team to serve as a collaborative member working with the plaza design team to shape an art element truly integrated into the plaza design and experience. Art may be integral to the park design as a singular element, multiple elements, or throughout the plaza. The City welcomes multi-sensory work (sound, light, textural/tactile), interactive pieces, dynamic artwork that changes through day/night or seasons, unexpected and memorable installations that draw people to engage repeatedly. Artwork should be site-specific and incorporate universal design concepts of inclusivity, accessibility, and usability. The awarded artist/team should display a strong portfolio of engaging, complex, and interactive public art projects with experience working effectively with diverse stakeholders.

The project budget is $97,500 all-inclusive, covering design, fabrication, installation, travel, and all taxes. The selected artist/team is responsible for all items including engineering approvals, materials, fabrication, delivery, site preparations, physical installation, and liability insurance. Eligibility is open to professional artists residing in Washington and Oregon. The application deadline is June 10, 2025 at 10:59 p.m. MDT. Applicants must submit a statement of interest (300 words or less), 3-10 work samples with descriptions, and a two-page maximum résumé. Up to three video samples may be submitted with a cumulative runtime of up to 3 minutes. The site is located at 125 E Main Street, Auburn, WA 98002, approximately 10,500 square feet adjacent to the future Auburn Theater and Postmark Center for the Arts.