Two L.A. Metro Stations Looking for 2D Designs

Two L.A. Metro Stations Looking for 2D Designs

Website: https://metroart.slideroom.com/

 Los Angeles, CA, Unknown

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) invites visual artists residing in the United States to submit qualifications for an opportunity to create a 2D artwork for the entrance of the existing Hollywood/Highland Metro Rail Station and/or the future Wilshire/La Cienega Metro Rail Station.

Budget: $95,000 per opportunity (2-D digital design and project oversight–no fabrication responsibility)
Eligibility: Professional artists legally authorized to work in the United States
Deadline: 09/16/2019 7:00 PM Central Time

Project Description

HOLLYWOOD/HIGHLAND: The selected artist will design a site specific and original artwork to replace the ceramic tiled walls at the station entrance.

WILSHIRE/LA CIENEGA: The selected artist will design a site specific and original artwork for the tiled walls of the concourse level.

Artists who have a practice in painting, drawing, collage, printmaking, textiles, photography, still digital or other 2D media will be considered. The artwork design must be digitized and delivered as high-resolution files in full scale for translation into glass mosaic (Hollywood/Highland) or individual glass panels (Wilshire/La Cienega). Metro will manage and cover the cost of fabricating and installing the artwork. In addition to developing the artwork, the artist will provide fabrication and installation oversight.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS FOR HOLLYWOOD/HIGHLAND PROJECT:  The station will be fully constructed, occupied and operational during Artwork installation

SPECIAL CONDITIONS FOR WILSHIRE/LA CIENEGA PROJECT:  The station will be under construction during Artwork design, fabrication and installation

FOR BOTH PROJECTS:

  • Services are to be provided as a freelance, independent contractor and not an employee of Metro.
  • This procurement has no subcontract opportunities; one individual specialist will complete assigned tasks in a consistent manner over a three-year period of time.

Metro’s award-winning art program commissions artists to create artworks that transform the transit customer experience and add to the artistic vibrancy of the communities it serves.

Artwork Location Description

HOLLYWOOD/HIGHLAND: The artwork will be executed on three adjacent walls. The primary wall, measuring approximately 70 feet long and 12 feet high, directly faces the escalators and stairs leading to the concourse. Perpendicular to each side of the primary wall are two additional wall sections, each measuring 25 feet long and 12 feet high. The total area is approximately 1,300 square feet. Final dimensions may be subject to change and are to be verified.

WILSHIRE/LA CIENEGA:  The north wall measures 10 feet high and 136 feet long, the south wall measures 10 feet high and 64 feet long and the walls face each other. Total approximate area is 2,000 square feet (final dimensions subject to change) and each glass tile panel measures 18 inches high and 36 inches long.

Site History

The Hollywood/Highland station, which opened in 2000, is served by the Red Line and offers multiple connections to Metro Bus Lines. The station concourse and platform ceiling was designed by the original artist, Sheila Klein, and architecture team, Dworsky Associates (now CannonDworsky), into a series of theatrical lights and telescoping, organic, sculptural forms. One has the sense of being in the depths of a giant creature. The area’s surrounding architectural legacy includes the former Grauman’s (now TLC) Chinese Theater, the El Capitan Theater, the Egyptian Theater and the Hollywood Bowl: all influential landmarks for the original design team. Likewise, traditional early Hollywood musical extravaganzas influenced the creative collaboration on this station, resulting in a heightened sensory and theatrical experience for those passing through. The station represents a dramatic complement to Hollywood’s cultural past as well as a prominent salute to its future.

The Wilshire/La Cienega station is part of the Westside Purple Line Extension. This project is being built in three sections. Section 1 between Wilshire/Western and Wilshire/La Cienega is now under construction and is scheduled for completion in 2023.  The Westside Purple Line Extension is a critically important subway rail project that will provide a high-capacity, efficient and dependable alternative for commuters to travel between downtown Los Angeles, the Miracle Mile, Beverly Hills and Westwood. From the current terminus at the Wilshire/Western Station, the Purple Line Extension will extend westward for about nine miles and will include seven new stations. The entire line is expected to be fully operational in time for the 2028 Olympics. The Wilshire/La Cienega station will be in close proximity to landmarks and destinations like the Saban Theatre (formerly the Fox Wilshire Theatre), Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Peterson Automotive Museum, La Cienega Park and the original Restaurant Row of Beverly Hills. The artworks in the Purple Line stations will reimagine Wilshire Boulevard’s legacy and herald its future.

Timeline (consolidated, both projects)

  • August 30, 2019: Deadline for RFQ questions*
  • September 6, 2019: Final RFQ responses
  • September 16, 2019: Artist applications due
  • Fall/Winter 2019: Artist selection
  • Winter 2019-20: Procurement (Contracting)
  • Spring 2020:  Wilshire/La Cienega Station artwork design development
  • Summer 2020: Hollywood/Highlands Station artwork design development
  • Spring 2021:  Wilshire/La Cienega Station artwork final design
  • Summer 2021: Hollywood/Highlands Station artwork final design; Wilshire/La Cienega Station fabrication oversight
  • Summer 2022:  Wilshire/La Cienega Station installation oversight
  • Fall 2022: Hollywood/Highlands Station artwork fabrication oversight
  • Spring 2023: Hollywood/Highlands Station artwork installation oversight
  • Winter 2023: Project completion (both stations)

*Questions are reviewed, and answers provided per a schedule. All questions must be received in writing, via e-mail, no later than 4:00pm PST on August 30, 2019. E-mail requests should include the subject line: “Hollywood/Highlands RFQ Clarification” or “Wilshire/La Cienega RFQ Clarification” as appropriate.

Selection Process
A community-based peer selection panel with diverse backgrounds in contemporary visual art will review applicant submittals and, using the evaluation criteria below, recommend artists to present a preliminary concept proposal. In order to establish the competitive field within the criteria, Metro Arts and Design staff may screen candidates to present to the panel. Candidates developing proposals will be compensated $2,900 to cover the cost of design, presentation materials and any associated travel.

Selection Criteria
Artists will be considered for a contract award based on:

  • Artistic Merit 60%   As evidenced by past examples of similarly scaled artwork commissions
  • Experience 20%  As evidenced by an advancing exhibition history and completed commissions, and as demonstrated by responsiveness to site and understanding of project goals
  • Availability 20%  Commitment to meet the project schedule and willingness to collaborate with Metro; commitment to work on a secure transit facility without impacting Metro operations

What to Submit

The following application materials are required:

  1. Letter of interest, 500 words maximum.
  2. Professional resume detailing your relevant professional experience, 1-3 pages, PDF format.
  3. 10 images of relevant past work as digital files, JPEG format, 1400 pixels x 2100 pixels, 300 dpi. Name your files using your last and first name followed by a number, no spaces or hyphens. For example, LASTnameFIRSTname01, LASTnameFIRSTname02, LASTnameFIRSTname03, etc. Images will be displayed in the naming order. Submit only images of applicant’s own original artwork. Do not submit specific proposals for new artwork.
  4. Annotated image descriptions, 2 pages, PDF format. This should be a typed listing of each digital image in the sequence above. Include thumbnail image, file name, title of the work, medium, dimensions, date, and location (if applicable). For previous public art projects, list the project location, commissioning body, date of completion, subcontractors and/or fabricators and project manager.
  5. Three professional references, 1 page, PDF format. Include e-mail, phone, and mail contact information for three references qualified to testify to applicant’s artistic capabilities and accomplishments.

How to Submit
All application materials must be submitted online via SlideRoom. There is no charge to artists for using SlideRoom. Apply separately for each opportunity: Look for “Call to Artists – Hollywood/Highland Station” or “Call to Artists — Wilshire/La Cienega Station” as appropriate. Applicants should use the latest version of their web browser to ensure a smooth online submission experience when using SlideRoom. Hard copy application materials will not be reviewed and will be returned unopened. Applicant must provide a permanent mailing address, e-mail and phone contact information. Applicant’s name must be included on each page of each file submitted. Incomplete submittals will not be considered. Metro reserves the right to request supporting documentation of any submittal materials for verification purposes. Application materials must be received by Metro via https://metroart.slideroom.com/ by 5:00pm PST on Monday, September 16, 2019. Application materials received after this deadline will not be reviewed. Application materials that are not formatted according to the specifications provided will not be reviewed.

QUESTIONS? Contact Mayen Alcantara, alcantaram@metro.net