WMATA’s Art in Transit Program is soliciting qualifications from accomplished artists or artist teams to create site-specific public artworks, funded by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), for the future Reston Town Center and Ashburn Stations on the Silver Line in Fairfax and Loudoun County, Virginia. This is a RFQ from interested Artists/Artist teams who wish to be considered for a procurement that will include design, construction services, and installation.

BUDGET:  $500,000 (2 commissions @ $250,000 each; same artist could execute both)

ELIGIBILITY: Experienced professional artists

DEADLINE:  11/24/2019 11:59 a.m. Eastern Time

Full RFQ with images of project sites is available here.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The MWAA is managing the design and construction of the Silver Line Project, a 23-mile two-phase 11-station extension to the existing Metrorail system, which will be operated by the Authority. The Silver Line connects to the Orange Line East Falls Church station and extends to Washington Dulles International Airport and west to Ashburn, Virginia in eastern Loudoun County. Construction on Phase 2, consists of six stations that will serve the Reston-Herndon area of Fairfax County, Dulles International Airport, and eastern Loudoun County. Three of these stations are located in Fairfax County, including Reston Town Center, and three are in Loudoun County, including Ashburn. Four artists have already been commissioned to create artwork for four Phase 2 Metrorail stations. For more information about the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, please visit
http://dullesmetro.com/

Through this RFQ, the Authority is seeking to select Artists/Artist teams to create site-specifics, integrated artwork for the Silver Line Phase II Reston Town Center and Ashburn Stations. The artist(s)/Artist team(s) selected through this RFQ will collaborate with AIT, the Authority’s Silver Line Project Office, MWAA, and the design-build contractor to design and create an artwork.

ARTWORK LOCATION DESCRIPTION

The Ashburn Station will serve Ashburn, Loudoun Station development, Moorefield Station development, and Brambleton.

• Location: In the median of the Dulles Greenway near the intersection Route 772 (Ryan Road)
• Type of Station: At-Grade
• Station Facilities: Pedestrian bridges and station entrance pavilions from both sides of Dulles Greenway; Bus dropoff/pickup (both sides); Kiss & Ride (both sides); Park & Ride facilities for approximately 3,000 cars (1,500 on each side); 24 bicycle racks, including 11 in the parking structure) and 5 bike lockers on the north side; 27 bicycle racks on the south side

The Reston Town Center Station will serve the west Reston area and Reston Town Center.

• Location: In the median of the Dulles Airport Access Highway/Dulles Toll Road just west of the Reston Parkway overpass
• Type of Station: At-Grade
• Station Facilities: Pedestrian bridges and station entrances from both sides of the Dulles Airport Access Highway/Dulles Toll Road; Bus bays (both entrances); Kiss & Ride (both entrances); 28 bicycle racks, 6 lockers on north side; 10 racks and five lockers on south side.

Due to the advanced stage of constructions of the stations, the Authority has identified the following locations within the stations as recommended potential sites for artworks. These locations will allow for a better integration of the artworks within the existing structure. The Artists/Artist Teams should carefully study the locations listed and illustrated and clearly identify which location(s) they are considering in their response to this RFQ. (Note that dimensions of these spaces and additional information will be provided to semifinalists asked for a proposal.)

1. Pedestrian bridge ceilings (no kinetic elements allowed)
2. Glazed storefront/clerestory in entrance pavilions

ARTWORK GOALS

The Authority has a history of, and expectation for design excellence and is seeking to obtain unique, memorable, and engaging site-specific, public artworks for both the Ashburn and Reston Town Center Metrorail stations. The Artist/Artists teams shall develop aesthetically attractive
public artworks that capture the Authority’s mission and reflect the artistic, cultural and/or historical interests of the surrounding communities. Consideration shall be given to creative uses of materials, massing, scale, form, texture, and detailing. Artworks shall be visually attractive,
innovative, as well as durable. The selected site-specific artworks should impart a sense of pride within the local community and provide a stimulating and attractive environment for the people who will experience the artworks on a daily basis.

Select finalists will be asked to consider the following principles when developing their design:

• Quality of the work and durability of materials
• Enduring aesthetics
• Site-specificity/Relationship to existing architectural, landscape, natural, and social features
• Gateway or landmark to a traveler’s journey
• Consideration of the sites (Silver Line, Fairfax County and Loudoun County)
• Consideration of the Authority’s role and history
• Relationship to other artworks in the vicinity
• Honors and does not conflict with the existing architecture of the Silver Line stations
• Future development plans for the area
• Appropriate scale/Artwork proportional to scale and volume of the space
• Visibility and Public accessibility
• Safety/Structural and surface soundness
• Resistance to theft, vandalism, weathering and excessive maintenance
• Low maintenance with minimal ongoing maintenance and operational costs
• Space activation
• Technical feasibility
• Operational costs
• Suitability for diverse public
• Abides by principles of Universal Design

The selection panel will consider all artwork in all media and materials.

TIMELINE

• Request for Qualifications posted: October 18, 2019
• RFQ closed, Qualifications Due: November 24, 2019
• Qualifications Evaluation/Selection of semi-finalists: November 25-December 20, 2019
• Release of additional information for selected finalists: December 23, 2019
• Site Specific Design proposal due: January 17, 2020
• Semi-finalists interviews/presentations: TBD
• Projected decisions on awarded proposals: TBD

SELECTION PROCESS

An artist selection panel led by AIT and comprising art and design professionals and community representatives, intends to select at least three (3) best artists/artist teams per station. The three (3) selected Artists/Artist teams will receive a $1,500 design fee to prepare and submit a site-specific artwork proposal that will comply with the prescribed concepts. The Authority expects the proposals to include all premiums required to complete the project on or ahead of the schedule listed in the present RFQ. As part of the proposal, the Artists/Artist teams are expected to provide a site-specific design and estimated costs for engineering and architectural services, technical, professional, clerical and other services necessary as well as schedules required for the fabrication and installation to complete the artwork. The Artists/Artist teams’ experience and professional record should provide convincing evidence of ability to successfully complete the project as proposed. An Artist Selection Panel led by AIT will rank each site-specific artwork. The Authority’s Office of Material and Procurement (PRMT) will enter into negotiations
with the top ranked Artists/Artist teams to finalize the contract award process.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The Art panel will be using the following criteria to evaluate each artist/artist’s team submission during stage 1 and stage 2 of the selection process:

• Quality of the Work: High quality artwork is determined by recognized arts professionals such as curators, arts administrators and artists qualified to evaluate contemporary artist portfolios, credentials and/or proposals.
• Site-specificity: An artist’s concept and the physical artwork are integrated into the project and should relate to the project site, immediate landscape, urban fabric, and/or surrounding communities.
• Durability of Materials: Artworks in transit systems may be subject to a variety of harsh conditions including impact from pedestrian traffic, build-up of soot and grime, a range of climate conditions, and potential vandalism. Durable materials should be used that attain the optimum degree of maintainability and proven ability to withstand the challenging transit environment and specific environmental conditions of the area. Artwork should need minimum maintenance.
• Originality of approaches and methodologies used to convey meaning through art
• Artist’s ability to complete the project in view of past commissions and Resume

WHAT TO SUBMIT

1. A statement of Interest that briefly outlines the Artists/Artist Teams’ interest in the present RFQ and experience working on similar projects (2000 characters maximum).
2. 1-2-page current résumé that highlight the Artists/Artist Teams’ professional accomplishments. If applying as a team, please submit one résumé per team member. Résumés longer than 1-2 page will not be considered. Résumés should be PDF files formatted as follow: file name to be artist last name. and first initial (i.e.: Smith.J.pdf)
3. Up to 10 digital images of previously completed artworks along with a one-page list of the images specifying the title, media, location and year created for each work of art.

The applicant(s) name(s) must appear on all materials submitted.

HOW TO SUBMIT

Qualifications for the Work described herein shall be submitted to the Contract Administrator through the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Project Management Software System (Procore). Access to the Authority’s ProCore will be made available to the Applicant upon receipt of an e-mail sent to the Contract Administrator (Robert Dixon, rdixon@wmata.com) with the Proposer contact name, e- mail address, company name, and company physical address.

QUESTIONS? Contact Robert Dixon, rdixon@wmata.com