4Culture and the Washington State Convention Center announce an opportunity to commission an artist for a major work of public art bridging the existing Convention Center and the new Convention Center Addition.
Budget: $800,000
Eligibility: Professional artists based in the U.S. and Canada
Deadline: June 21, 2018
Project Background
For nearly 30 years, the WSCC has been the Northwest’s premier meetings and events facility. WSCC welcomes thousands of visitors from around the globe each year, offering industry-leading service, award-winning catering, and a comprehensive range of services for event planners, exhibitors, and guests.
Following years of study and continuing demand from convention goers who prefer to meet in Seattle, the WSCC is building an additional facility.
The existing WSCC and its new Addition are located in Seattle’s downtown core at the intersection of several distinct, urban, and rapidly evolving neighborhoods. The Addition project includes two co-development sites and will transform the equivalent of four blocks of downtown streetscape. The design of the WSCC Addition and its public art program aim to create enhanced connections with the surrounding neighborhoods and promote a unique experience that embodies the essence of the Pacific Northwest.
To build the Addition project, the WSCC requested several street and alley vacations from the city. In exchange, the project provided a package of public benefits, including three significant public artworks. This opportunity at Ninth and Pike is one of those public benefit artwork sites. All of the public benefit artwork areas are perceived as zones of experience, allowing the selected artists the broadest opportunity to define the intent, materials, and possibility of the artwork.
Site Information
The intersection of Ninth Avenue and Pike Street in downtown Seattle presents an opportunity for a large-scale artwork that can enhance the pedestrian experience and create a memorable and dynamic connection between the existing Washington State Convention Center (WSCC) and its new Addition. While this site is not part of the Addition re-development, it does offer the possibility for an artist to envision an urban “room” that creates a space of its own, while supporting other civic developments and connections. The site is an important location in the context of the city’s Pike Pine Renaissance: Act One initiative. The WSCC and this location are also adjacent to Freeway Park, a 5.2-acre masterwork designed by Lawrence Halprin and Angela Danadjieva. Freeway Park is currently undergoing a community engagement and schematic design process to envision and create improvements to connectivity, visibility, and public safety.
Pike Street creates a strong link from the WSCC to Seattle’s waterfront via Pike Place Market and Westlake. Several notable landmarks are in proximity to the site along Ninth Avenue, including the historic Paramount Theatre and the WorldMark Seattle – The Camlin.
Artwork information
Artwork is not limited to vertical application on the building façade. Property boundaries, pedestrian movement, and transportation mobility will be considerations, but finalists will be encouraged to think broadly about the possibilities for the art.
Timeline for Selection
*You should be available in this timeframe in order to participate in an in-person orientation and proposal presentation if selected as a finalist. Out-of-town finalists will be reimbursed for travel and lodging expenses to attend both the orientation and proposal presentation in Seattle, Washington. If applying as a team, the allowance for travel may not fully reimburse all team members. The panel reserves the right to make no selection from the submitted applications or finalists’ proposals.
Criteria for Selecting Finalists
Finalists will be selected on the basis of the following criteria:
Selection Process
The artist for this commission will be selected through an open call process, with the final artwork decided on the basis of competitive proposals. A six-person selection panel will review the applications and shortlist three finalists to develop proposals. Finalists will receive an in-depth orientation so that they can fully understand the site context and scope of adjacent developments and city initiatives. The panel will reconvene to review the finalists’ proposals and select one artist for the commission.
Finalists will each receive an $8,000 stipend to attend the orientation, develop a conceptual proposal, and present the proposal to the selection panel. In addition to the proposal fee, out-of-town finalists will be reimbursed for travel and lodging costs for two trips to Seattle to participate in the orientation and proposal presentation.
All finalists will be expected to attend the orientation on August 8 and 9, 2018 and proposal presentation on October 19, 2018. These meetings will be held in Seattle, Washington.
The panel reserves the right to make no selection from the submitted applications or finalists’ proposals. The panel’s recommendations are subject to approval by the WSCC Board.
Submission Requirements
You must submit the following materials via online application. The Public Art application system is being used for this process. You may be required to create a new account.
QUESTIONS?