Seattle music/theater/art group "Awesome" premiered at noSIGNAL at On the Boards. Photo by David Nixon.
Artist sought for Spokane St. Viaduct expansion
The Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs in partnership with the Seattle Department of Transportation seeks an artist or artist team to develop permanent artwork in conjunction with the widening of the South Spokane Street Viaduct in Seattle's SoDo (South Downtown) neighborhood. The 60-year-old elevated roadway serves as a key transportation link between West Seattle, Port of Seattle terminal facilities and the SoDo district and provides access to State Route 99 and Interstate 5. The viaduct spans an industrial neighborhood that serves as the southern gateway to downtown Seattle.
The selected artist will develop a creative response to the expansive viaduct and its industrial setting. Possible locations for artwork include the underside of the viaduct's elevated roadway, its forest of support columns, the spaces surrounding new traffic ramps, the lower Spokane Street roadway and its new sidewalk and/or other areas adjacent to the viaduct. Safety issues prevent placing artwork on the elevated roadway. The artist will determine locations for artwork in collaboration with staff from the Seattle Department of Transportation.
The call is open to professional artists living in the United States. The budget for design (including travel costs) is $60,000. It is anticipated that $340,000 will be available for fabrication and installation, for a total project budget of $400,000. The application deadline is 11 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 17. A link to the online application is available here.