RISCA Public Art Commission: RIPTA Pawtucket-Central Falls Transit Center Passenger Facility

The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) and the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) are seeking artists to create a public art commission for the new Pawtucket-Central Falls Transit Center Passenger Facility, located at 300 Pine St., Pawtucket. This is a Request for Qualifications for a public art commission with a budget of $25,000 for the acquisition of artwork. The project is funded through Rhode Island's Public Art Law, which mandates that 1% of all state capital construction and renovation funds be allocated to the acquisition of works of art to be placed in public places.

The new passenger facility, which opened for service on January 23, 2023, features public restrooms, driver restrooms and break room, a waiting area with seating and real-time passenger information screens, and a Pawtucket Police sub-station and security office. The selection committee has prioritized interior artwork placement, noting that this is where riders will wait and that artwork could help create a welcoming atmosphere. The interior finishes include polished concrete floors with blue wave accent, a blue tile backsplash in the water fountain area, and a blue accent wall. Available wall space for artwork is approximately 4 feet high by 19 feet long. Interior artwork could be lit so that it would be visible from the outside at night. Artwork should be durable and require minimal maintenance.

This Call is open to all artists and artist teams residing in Rhode Island. Students are not eligible to apply. Residency is determined as the state in which one files their personal tax return. Black, Indigenous, People of Color, women, gender nonconforming persons, LGBTQIA+ community members, and people with differing physical abilities are encouraged to apply. At this preliminary selection stage, submissions should consist of six (6) images representing work completed within the past ten (10) years, a brief one-paragraph statement of interest, and a document describing the relevant experience of all team members. All materials must be submitted in digital format through the CaFÉ website. There is no charge to apply. Three finalists will be selected and invited to a site visit and to craft a detailed proposal including an itemized budget, scale models and/or renderings, and an in-depth project description. Each finalist will be paid a stipend of $750, which includes all travel expenses for both the site visit and the subsequent presentation meeting. The estimated timeline includes: application opens December 12, 2024; deadline for submissions January 21, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. MST; panel meeting for review and selection of semifinalists in February 2025; finalist site visits in Spring 2025; finalist presentations and work selection in Spring 2025; and final approval by RISCA's Council and RIPTA in June 2025.