Public Art for the Cass Avenue Bridge, Detroit, Michigan

Public Art for the Cass Avenue Bridge is a project of the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) administered by Regina M Flanagan, Art • Landscape • Design LLC and advisor Seitu Kenneth Jones through HNTB Corporation. The Cass Avenue bridge, part of the I-94 Modernization Project, is located in Midtown Detroit, connecting downtown and the Midtown cultural and educational district to the north with the New Center research and technology district. The area includes the Detroit Institute of Arts, College for Creative Studies, C.H. Wright Museum of African American History, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Wayne State University, Tech Town, and the Henry Ford Medical Center.

The project has $200,000 in funding from the State of Michigan committed for artwork. This budget must cover all artist fees, costs, and expenses associated with designing, fabricating, and installing the artwork. The project must meet both Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and state design guidelines. Artist(s) will be selected in mid-May to begin the design phase in mid-June, culminating in a design proposal presented to decision-makers including the Public Art Committee (PAC) and MDOT before the end of July. The bridge is scheduled to be reconstructed in 2021 with demolition beginning in February or March, and final artwork installation to be completed by fall 2021.

Artists may create work on land approaching the bridge (approximately 20-feet by 50-feet by 170-feet by 90-feet in the southwest corner) or on the bridge itself. Planter boxes running the 195-foot length of the bridge on either side of the driving lanes present potential for up to two-inch deep incised relief. Artwork must comply with Americans with Disabilities (ADA) law, maintain safe sight-lines, avoid adding weight to the bridge, and require reasonable maintenance. Submissions require 6-10 images and up to 1 video. Eligibility is national. NOTE: THIS PROJECT IS DELAYED INDEFINITELY BECAUSE OF CORONAVIRUS.