City of Seattle Seeks Artists for Future Public Art

The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) is creating an artist roster of approximately 200-300 artists, that will include both artists who are emerging into the field and experienced public artists, who will be pre-qualified for future public art projects in 2021-2023 within city utility facilities, parks, street right-of-way, and other locations.

BUDGET: Varies by project; projects for established artists will be $40,000 and up

ELIGIBILITY: Established artists over 18 currently residing in the U.S.

DEADLINE:  November 30, 2020

For this application, an established artist is defined as a visual artist who has been awarded more than three commissions from public agencies, corporations or other organizations over the amount of $20,000 (individual budget amounts, not cumulative).

The Public Art Artist Roster 2021-2023 will be used to select an artist when a project’s requirements render it especially suitable for roster artists or when a project’s timeline requires an expedited selection process. Selection will be based on the appropriateness of the artist’s media and experience for specific project requirements and the artist’s availability. We may occasionally ask for roster artists to provide a statement of interest for specific projects. The roster will also be available on the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture website, allowing the public and other agencies to search and have access to specific application information about and work sample images of roster artists.

Artists who are pre-qualified for the roster may continue to apply to open calls issued by ARTS provided that they meet eligibility requirements and complete the open call's required application. Artists on the established artist roster who receive a commission for a roster project will not be eligible for additional roster projects, but may continue to apply to open calls. Artists selected for the roster will have the opportunity to update their information on an annual basis within the Submittable platform.

WHAT TO PROVIDE

Your letter of interest and biographical statement may be submitted either in written form or in a video/audio statement that includes the information below. Please note that this should not be a highly produced/edited video, a short recording that speaks directly to your interest in this project will suffice. The intent of this option is to provide an opportunity for individuals who feel they can represent themselves better verbally versus in writing through the letter of interest (for example for applicants for whom English is a second language and/or other considerations).

1. Letter of Interest (not to exceed 300 words or 90 seconds). Please provide a statement describing your artistic practice and experience in the public art field.
2. Biographical Statement (not to exceed 200 words or 60 seconds). The biographical statement replaces a request for a resume and is a space where you can summarize your experiences as a creative individual.
3. Three References. Please include the name, a brief statement about your working relationship, and contact information (email and/or phone number) for each of your references.
4. Up to 10 Work Sample Images. We suggest not submitting more than two images of the same work. Composite images are not recommended. You will be asked to provide image identification information including title, year created, commission amount (if applicable), and project role (if applicable) as part of the image upload.
5. Application Questionnaire. This series of questions will help sort and organize the roster based on self-identified areas of interest and expertise. Your responses to the questions in this section will not be viewable by the selection panel, but will be viewable as part of the publicly accessible roster.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online only via Submittable.

QUESTIONS?  Contact Maija McKnight, 206.684.7311 or maija.mcknight@seattle.gov