South Park Drainage Artwork and Residency

The Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, in partnership with Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), seeks an artist to develop site-specific artwork and serve as artist-in-residence for South Park drainage projects. The selected artist will create a multi-faceted artwork that connects several sites and makes visible aspects of water conservation, collection and management that may otherwise be hidden underground. Possible artwork locations include the perimeter fence at the pump station and water quality facility at the intersection of South Riverside Drive and 7th Avenue South, the northeast and eastern edges of Marra-Desimone Park (located at 9026 4th Avenue South), and adjacent or connecting right-of-way.

Through the artist residency, the artist will work with SPU staff, engineers, and consultants to investigate planned drainage improvements for South Park and contribute plans or designs for future drainage projects. Possible residency activities may include developing an art plan for future drainage infrastructure projects, working as a design team artist for the next phase of drainage improvements, developing designs and prototypes for infrastructure enhancements, or developing temporary projects that extend the concept of the permanent artwork.

The competition is open to established professional artists working in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana or California. Students are not eligible. The total project budget is $115,000, with $100,000 for design, fabrication and installation of permanent site-specific artwork and $15,000 to serve as artist-in-residence. The selected artist will begin design work immediately upon selection, with installation of the site-specific artwork to coincide with completion of the South Park Pump Station and Water Quality Facility in 2011. Application requirements include 16 artwork images, a letter of interest (not to exceed 2,000 characters), resume, and references. Selection will be based on strength and artistic merit of past works, ability and experience creating site-specific artwork, ability to work collaboratively, and contribution to the diversity of the city's art collection.