South End Station Art

The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) is seeking a professional artist or artist team to integrate art into the South End Station, a new station along the LYNX Blue Line. The LYNX Blue Line is an 18.9 mile light rail alignment running south and north through Charlotte with 26 stations and 11 park and rides, operating 7 days a week. The station will be located on the LYNX Blue Line between the New Bern Station and East/West Blvd. Station, sited behind the Publix located at 2222 South Blvd. Charlotte NC, 28203.

Multiple functional art opportunities exist at the station including shelter windscreens, shelter column cladding, platform pavement, fencing, or benches. The main design challenge is "way finding" to the station utilizing height (eye-catching canopy finials, etc.) or progressive design elements (sidewalk elements, etc.) that could lead riders to the station from pedestrian access points. CATS is seeking artists who create two and three-dimensional art and are comfortable engaging local communities to ensure the resulting art and imagery resonates with light rail patrons and the surrounding South End community. CATS will select one artist or artist team for this project.

The art budget is $125,000, all inclusive to cover artist fees, materials, proposal, travel, meetings, insurance, engineering, design, digital files, fabrication, construction plans, delivery of art, and any other expenses. CATS will negotiate a contract with the selected artist based on a defined scope of work, beginning with a design contract which will be amended for fabrication/construction upon design approval. A selection panel of local art professionals will review submissions based on past work and qualifications, considering excellence in quality of art or design, connection to site and/or adjacent community, impact on transit users and public, durability, safety, and resistance to vandalism, and minimal maintenance requirements. Professional artists living or working in the United States are eligible to apply. Experience in public art or comparable visual art experience is desirable. Local artists are strongly encouraged to submit. Students are not eligible. Submit 6 images of recently completed public art, an annotated image sheet, a 1-2 page resume or CV, an artist statement, and three professional references. There is no application fee.