RFQ for Public Art at the City Operations Facility

The City of Federal Way is seeking qualifications from artists interested in creating a public-facing, site-responsive public art installation for the newly constructed Joint Use Operations and Maintenance Facility, located along the east side of 28th Avenue S, between S 312th Street and S 308th Lane. The City is seeking artists with public art experience or artist-led interdisciplinary teams with public art experience. Preference will be given to artists residing within Washington State.

The outdoor art project will be installed onto the face or free-standing in front of a cast-in-place concrete wall at the facility. Project goals include speaking to the natural beauty and location of the site, serving as a signature piece of artwork, fitting within the context of the site in terms of scale, design, and theme, showcasing the operations housed within the facility, and complementing the existing architectural design. Materials and finished artwork shall be of the highest quality and designed for durability and relatively low maintenance.

From this RFQ, three finalists will be invited and paid a $2,000 stipend to submit concept proposals. All finalists will attend a site visit and meet with City staff before proposal development. Finalists will present proposals to the O&M Facility Public Art's Advisory Committee. Final selection will be made by the City Council after recommendation by the committee. The Art Budget of $175,000 covers all services inclusive of design development, artist fee, travel, community meetings, fabrication, transportation, installation, and coordination with staff. The timeline includes a Request for Qualifications deadline of August 1, 2025, finalist notification in August 2025, site visits in September 2025, proposal development from September through November 2025, finalist presentations in November 2025, final selection in December 2025, artwork development and implementation from January through April 2026, and installation in Spring/Summer 2026.