INTRODUCTION

The City of Charlotte is continuing to expand transportation options in the region, and the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) is seeking a professional artist or artist team to incorporate art into the South End Station.

In 2002 by resolution, CATS’ governing board, the Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC), established the Art in Transit program, committing 1% of design and construction budgets to the integration of public art in capital improvement projects.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

CATS Art in Transit (AiT) is seeking an artist or artist team to integrate art into the design of a new station along the LYNX Blue Line. The LYNX Blue Line is an 18.9 mile light rail alignment running south and north through Charlotte, has 26 stations and 11 park and rides, and operates 7 days a week.

During design and construction, the light rail must remain operational. There are multiple functional art opportunities at the station including shelter windscreens, shelter column cladding, platform pavement, fencing, or benches. The main design challenge seeking to be addressed is “way finding” to the station utilizing height (eye-catching canopy finials, etc.) or progressive design elements (sidewalk elements, etc.) that could lead riders to the station from pedestrian access points. Artists will work collaboratively with the project team to incorporate their designs into the construction bid documents. The finished art will be fully integrated into the site.

CATS is seeking artists who create two and three-dimensional art and are comfortable engaging local communities to ensure the resulting art and imagery resonates with not only the light rail patrons but the surrounding South End community. CATS will select one artist or artist team for this project.

ART BUDGET & FUNDING

$125K – The art budget is all inclusive intended to cover artist fees, materials, proposal, travel, meetings, insurance, engineering, design, digital files, fabrication, construction plans, delivery of art, and any other expenses. CATS AiT will negotiate a contract with the artist based on a defined scope of work. Selected artist will begin with a design contract which will be amended for fabrication/construction upon design approval.

The project is funded by the City of Charlotte.

PROJECT LOCATION

The project will be located on the LYNX Blue Line between the New Bern Station and East/West Blvd. Station. The South End Station will be sited behind the Publix located at 2222 South Blvd. Charlotte NC, 28203. 

ARTIST SELECTION PROCESS & CRITERIA

A selection panel of local art professionals will review artists’ submissions and select the artist based on past work and qualifications. The panelists have a broad understanding of contemporary art and the contribution an artist can make to this project.

Specific information about the history and the character of community in proximity to the Station will be provided by the project team, shared with the selection panel prior to selecting the artist and subsequently with the selected artist prior to proposal development.

In keeping with Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and American Public Transportation Association (APTA) best practices to incorporate art into mass transit, CATS subscribes to the following criteria when artists are involved in the planning and designing of a transit art project and/or when an artist is commissioned to create works of art:

• Excellence in quality of art or design
• Connection to site and/or adjacent community
• Impact on transit users and public
• Durability, safety, and resistance to vandalism
• Minimal maintenance requirements

Artists being considered for selection shall never be discriminated against because of race, gender, national origin, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, or disability. The AiT program acknowledges that cultural equity is critical to the long-term viability of the arts. The program actively seeks to work with artists of all backgrounds and to inclusively engage the talents of historically underrepresented peoples.

PROJECTED TIMELINE

• Call for Artists  :  December 5, 2022 – January 20, 2023
• Deadline for Artists Submission  :  January 20, 2023
• Artist Selection  :  Jan-Feb 2023
• Artist Contract  :  Feb-March 2023
• Artist Proposal Development  :  Spring 2023
• Final Design  :  Summer 2023
• 65% Design Documents  :  Fall 2023
• Construction Documents  :  Summer 2024
• Fabrication & Station Construction  :  Winter 2024 – 2025

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Visit https://charlottenc.gov/cats/Pages/South-End-Station.aspx to learn more about the South End Station Project.

Application Requirements

APPLICATION PROCESS

Eligible artists living or working in the United States are invited to submit their digital application materials for this open call through CaFÈ. There is no fee to apply. Applications must be received by 5pm EST time on January 20, 2023. Please submit the following:

• 6 images of recently completed public art, relevant to this project and formatted according to CaFÉ guidelines.
• Annotated image sheet including title, media, dimensions, completion date, location, commissioning agency, budget for art, brief description, and corresponding image number.
• 1-2 page resume or CV of relevant experience
• Artist statement
• Three professional references (name, title, organization, email, phone number).

Eligibility Criteria

ELIGIBILITY & QUALIFICATIONS

Professional artists living or working in the United States are invited to apply. Experience in public art or comparable visual art experience is desirable. Local artists are strongly encouraged to submit qualifications. Students are not eligible.