Request for Qualifications: Municipality of Anchorage 1% for Art - Fire Station 3 Floor Artwork

The Municipality of Anchorage is announcing a call for qualified artists for a site-specific integrated floor artwork at Fire Station 3, located at 430 Bragaw Street in the Airport Heights neighborhood. In accordance with Municipal Code 7.40, the 1% for Art program seeks one artist to create an integrated floor piece in the main corridor of the Fire Station.

The total commission budget is $24,000, which includes all costs of design, site preparation, fabrication, installation, photographic documentation, catalog documentation, and an identifying plaque. Four artists will be selected to receive an honorarium fee to work on beginning concepts. Selected finalists will work with the project architect and Art Selection Jury on design development. Project construction began in April 2015 and will be completed by Summer 2016, with artwork installation occurring by June 2016.

The floor inlay will measure 5' X 11¾" x 9' 5¾" and will be located in the center of the main corridor. The jury is requesting qualifications for site-specific floor interventions and is open to various materials including terrazzo flooring, concrete staining, metal embeds, or tile, provided they are durable and require minimal maintenance. The artwork must be permanent, designed to last the life of the building, and meet IBC 2009 building code standards as amended by the Municipality of Anchorage. Surplus materials (2%) will be required for future maintenance needs.

Themes of interest include the history of the station and Anchorage centennial, the station's name "The View Crew" (serving City View, Fairview, and Mountain View neighborhoods), tools of the trade, the station motto "First in, Last out," general fire service, and the Alaska landscape and environment. The jury is not interested in works with overwhelming use of flames or the word "hero."

Eligibility is regional; artists residing in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest (California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington) may apply, with Alaska preference. Applicants must submit six digital images of past work, a 1-2 page resume with three professional references, an artist statement describing interest and qualifications for the project, and answers to required questions about location, medium, and commission level. State laws related to public construction, including licensing, insurance, bonding, and prevailing wage rates, may apply.

For additional information, contact the Curator of Public Art at (907) 343-6473 or [email protected].