The City of Kirkland is seeking a qualified Artist for a public art commission in the new Fire Station 21 to be installed in December of 2024. This public art commission is funded by the city of Kirkland’s 1% for Art program. 1% for Art is assessed on qualified capital improvement projects (CIP) that are undertaken by the City of Kirkland. The Kirkland Cultural Arts Commission (KCAC) together with City staff curates and advises the City Council on public art acquisitions and loans, and it reviews and recommends projects under the City's "1% for Art" program.

The Fire Station Art Steering Committee (Steering Committee), consisting of the art consultant, representatives from the project teams, the Kirkland Fire Department, the City Manager’s Office and the Kirkland Cultural Arts Commission will select the art commission. 

Read on for the project information including art location(s), schedule, budget and submittal requirements. Site plans are enclosed separately. The standard artist contract is enclosed separately; please review it as no exemptions will be made for the selected artist.

The City of Kirkland Fire Department is a pillar of the Kirkland community providing a sense of safety and stability helping individuals in need and supporting the city as a whole. 

The art commission will honor the fire department history and promote a bright future with themes of hope, resiliency, positivity, and inclusivity. 

Visual elements will strive to reinforce the unconditional response and community support that is emblematic of fire department services.  

Key themes:
Spirit of service | Inclusive | Accessible | Historic | Commemorative | Luminous | Cohesive| Dynamic | Hopeful | Relatable 

The selected artist should plan to install the Commission December 2024

Artist Selection Process

The Fire Station Art Steering Committee composed of members of the Kirkland Cultural Arts Commission (KCAC), the art consultant, city staff and project team members and other relevant stakeholders when appropriate, will make the selection for this call.  In accordance with Kirkland R-5213 and the City of Kirkland 1% for Art Policy Guidelines, the  Fire Station Art Steering Committee will present the recommended art concept and artist to the KCAC for approval, and subsequently to the Kirkland City Council for final approval of the artist and art concept. 
 

The selection process will include two phases. 

The first phase will be based on the evaluation of preliminary submissions. Preliminary submissions will be selected based on the following:
● Quality and craftsmanship of past works
● Creativity of approach
● Relevance of, and familiarity with, the Kirkland community
● Visual and technical sophistication

The second phase will include a list of finalists who will be awarded a stipend to create a site-specific project concept design. The selected concept design will be based on the Scoring Rubric Criteria (below). The Fire Station Art Steering Committee will present its recommendation of artist and concept to the full KCAC for its approval, and finally to the review, with Kirkland City Council for approval.
The Fire Station Art Steering Committee reserves the right not to select any submissions received from this call for artists. Finalists should be prepared and available to present their concept designs virtually during an interview process if so selected. Submitting artists must be able to meet the project timeline.
Artists will be selected on the basis of the fit of their concept for this project and the strength of their past work. For applicants without a history of past public art commissions, you will need to describe why you would be a good fit for this project. Previous public art experience is not required. 
 

Project Schedule
● July 25th, 2023 - Questions due in writing to janet@ninedotarts.com
● August 18th, 2023 - Deadline to submit
● September 7th, 2023 - Finalists announced with a stipend for project concept designs
● October 2nd, 2023 - Finalists project concept designs submitted
● December 1st, 2023 - Commission awarded
● December 2024 - Project installation

Project Budget and Contract Requirements

● The project budget is $50,000 Total. This amount will be paid to the artist or artist team and is inclusive of artist’s fees, materials, insurance, fabrication, on-site installation, travel and WA State sales/use tax (10.2%). Funding will be paid in phases after a City of Kirkland Service Agreement with outlined scope of work is signed by both the artist and the City. The City of Kirkland is required to have the below-listed documents from a vendor to enter into a contractual agreement. 

Required documentation includes:
● IRS Form W-9
● Certificate of Insurance for the duration of the project showing 1) Commercial General Liability for $1,000,000 each occurrence with the City named as an additional insured
● If artist(s) plans to drive their vehicle onto the work site (City property), the City will require proof of automobile liability insurance with minimum coverage of $1 million during the project.
● State of Washington Business License with City of Kirkland endorsement

Additional Requirements
● Low maintenance; primer coat; anti-graffiti coating; weather, vandal and graffiti resistant
● Suitable for public viewing by all ages.

Art Call Selection Scoring Rubric

The Fire Station Art Steering Committee will adopt the scoring rubric used by the Kirkland Cultural Arts Commission (KCAC) and based on City of Kirkland 1% for Art Policy Guidelines and funders’ intent—in its selection process.  The Fire Station Art Steering Committee will recommend its selections to the KCAC for approval and to Kirkland City Council for final approval based on the total points scored in these following categories:

1. Responsiveness to the Project Call: Theme and Other Project Specifics—50 points.

How well does the proposed work respond to the specifics of the call, in terms of theme, location (if applicable), and medium (if applicable)?

Scale: not competitive (1-9); fair (10-19); good (20-29); great (30-39); excellent (40-45); exceptional (46-50).

1. Overall Alignment with City of Kirkland Public Art Policy Guidelines – 20 points

Does the proposed work reflect Kirkland’s Public Art Vision to maintain a diverse public art collection that values and honors artistic endeavor and the creative process, recognizes the role of public art in a welcoming and inclusive community, invites interaction, fosters civic identity and community pride, inspires a sense of discovery, stimulates cultural awareness, and encourages economic development?

Scale: not competitive (1-2); fair (3-6); good (7-10); great (11-15); excellent (15-19); exceptional (20).

1. Artistic Merit – 20 points

How well does the proposed work show artistic value, including formal qualities, technical ability, relevance to the current historical context, and the creative expression of content?

Scale: not competitive (1-2); fair (3-6); good (7-10); great (11-15); excellent (15-19); exceptional (20).

1. Artist’s Capabilities – 10 points
   Does the proposal, including the artist’s statement and submitted work samples, demonstrate the artist’s ability to meet the project requirements and fully realize the project.
   
   Scale: not competitive (1); fair (2-3); good (4-5); great (6-7); excellent (8-9); exceptional

Application Requirements

1. Artist Name (or names of team members if applying as a collaboration), Phone number and email
2. Website and/or Social Media Links if applicable
3. Five to ten images of relevant examples of past work (video accepted). Images should represent the artist’s style, format, medium, or breadth of work. Please include scale and medium for all works—and if a public installation, include the year installed and its location.
4. Resume or CV
5. In 150 words or less, please describe your project approach and intention to create connections to the Kirkland community
6. Two references

Eligibility Criteria

This call is open to any artist. 
● Individual artists or collaborations 
● Demonstrated experience working with communities 
● Ability to work with architects, designers, fabricators to successfully achieve concept to install 
● Successful experience working on time and within budget 
● Artists with training and desire, but no previous opportunity in public arts projects are encouraged to explore applying where locations may match skill and readiness levels.
 

The City of Kirkland Supports Equitable Opportunities
The KCAC, in alignment with the City Council, seeks to dismantle structural racism and inequities in Kirkland. The KCAC affirms that all people, their cultures, and their art contribute to the meaning and understanding of our shared humanity and should be honored and celebrated. The KCAC strives to proactively solicit and curate art that reflects the diversity of the Kirkland community, encourages a sense of belonging for all people, and supports the expression of historically marginalized communities. The art created by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color performs a unique role in our community and helps provide inspiration to resolve societal inequity and injustice. This important work of bringing equity to art is pivotal to the KCAC’s efforts to confront injustices of the past and reveal inequities of the present in order to build a more diverse, inclusive collection of public art, now and in the future.