Atlanta Seeks Artist for Illuminated Water Feature

The City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs invites architects, artists and designers to submit qualifications for the design, production and installation of a Water Feature with LED lighting to be created and installed in a new linear park along MLK Jr Drive, between Lynhurst Drive and Peyton Place. The artwork will be part of the 7.2 mile east-west corridor that connects points of interest such as the new Mercedes Benz Stadium, the Atlanta University Center, the Atlanta BeltLine, Westview Cemetery, and several MARTA bus stops.

Budget: $1,194,000

Deadline: 03/02/2018 5:00 PM Central Time

Eligibility:  Professional architects, designers or artists (or teams) with portfolios that demonstrate experience designing, fabricating, and installing water features with LED lighting for public spaces.

Project Description
The Renew Atlanta initiative that is sponsoring this installation, along with several others along the corridor, will address vehicular and pedestrian safety concerns, provide additional pedestrian and bicycle access through the implementation of new multi-use trails, and introduce a new linear park along the corridor in addition to several public art installations. The goal is to transform MLK, Jr. Drive into an art-filled pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly corridor with improved access to the Atlanta Beltline and MARTA bus service.

The area’s culture is internationally significant. It was home to intellectual leaders of human rights, including W.E.B. DuBois, Booker T. Washington, and the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. The project will not only honor the name of Atlanta’s most famous resident, but further the City of Atlanta’s vision to preserve its historical past, maintain the livability of the present, and transform its future through the highest quality of implementation to enhance the level of service it provides to all people of Atlanta. The initiative is a global showcase for the community-based deployment of recent innovations in transportation safety, delivery, and risk management practices, in a high visibility, internationally significant cultural context.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive corridor carries some 28,000 motorists a day and MARTA, which provides local bus service on and parallels the corridor with four heavy rail stations, provides 438,000 trips per weekday. Users of the corridor will benefit from improved operations, more multi-modal options and connections, and reduced conflict between modes.

Artwork Location Description
The Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs is looking for qualified applicants to design, fabricate and install a water feature in a new linear park on MLK, Jr. Drive, between Lynhurst Drive and Peyton Place.

MLK, Jr. Drive is a heavily used east-west corridor linking points of interest such as Downtown Atlanta (which includes the government center), Philips Arena, the new Mercedes Benz Stadium, Atlanta University Center (Morehouse College, Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse School of Medicine), historic Westview Cemetery, four MARTA heavy rail stations, and the Fulton County Airport-Brown Field. Suburban and historic urban neighborhoods line the corridor alongside notable parks such as Mozley Park and Washington Park and other community facilities such as the historic Booker T. Washington High School, Adamsville Recreation Center, Atlanta BeltLine, and the Lionel Hampton Multi-use Trail. At the intersection of Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard, MLK Jr. Drive becomes State Route 139 going westward past historic Westview Cemetery, through the Adamsville community and eventually to the Atlanta city limits and Fulton Industrial Boulevard in unincorporated Fulton County. The corridor is served by 14 local and one express bus route and is located near portions of regional multi-use trail systems that currently have limited connectivity. The eastern end of the corridor intersects with the Atlanta Beltline Southwest Trail that is currently under construction.

Selection Criteria
Artists will be selected based on the following criteria:

• Artist merit and technical expertise
• Demonstrated successful, innovative and effective approach to architectural, design and public art projects of a similar scope
• Ability to successfully execute project in a culturally rich and complex area
• Express interest in creating artwork for the opportunities presented by this request for qualifications

Timeline

• February 1, 2018: RFQ issued
• February 16, 2018: Deadline for submitting questions
• March 2, 2018: Proposals due
• March 5, 2018: Evaluation of Qualifications
• March 12, 2018: Artist or artist team selected to submit proposals
• April 23, 2018: Team Presentation/Interviews via skype
• May 7, 2018: Artist or artist team selected and announced
• January 25, 2019 Anticipated completion and installation of final artwork

How to submit

Submit application online ONLY through the CaFE system.  Electronic qualifications must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. March 2, 2018. Proposals received after 12AM March 2, 2018 will not be considered. Proposals received after the scheduled deadline for filing will not be opened.

Submit the following information:

• Statement of Interest: In one page using no smaller than 10 pt font, address the conceptual approach of the project; aspects of the site that are of interest; how you would engage the public; and, how the project will contribute to your existing body of work.
• Résumé that outlines professional accomplishments (maximum 2 pages per person). Include three professional references (name, affiliated organization, email address and phone number).
• Past work samples with a list of works submitted for review that includes title, location, date completed/performed, media, brief description of the project/conceptual information, and budget (if applicable).

QUESTIONS?  Contact Emily Fisher, Cultural Affairs Outreach Specialist, EAFisher@AtlantaGA.gov