REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

CATS Art in Transit                                                                                        

Hambright Park & Ride                                                                                                               

Deadline: March 31, 2024      

Art budget: $20,000 (Design Only) 

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 Hambright Park & Ride.

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 NC and SC artists to integrate art into the design of a new park and ride lot in Huntersville, NC. The Hambright Park & Ride will be a 500+ parking space mobility hub to provide rapid transit services to the Town of Huntersville and surrounding areas by utilizing the newly constructed express lane direct connect. The proposed location is along the south side of Hambright Road, situated between Mt. Holly-Huntersville Road and Interstate 77.

A primary art opportunity is the driver’s comfort station. Artists may choose to integrate art on the exterior of the comfort station building (i.e., mosaics, metal work, etc.), working collaboratively with the project architect. However, the chosen artist is not limited to this option and may include art in the bus shelter(s), stand-alone art, hardscapes, and other visible areas. 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 parking lot patrons but the surrounding community. CATS will select one artist or artist team for this project.

ART BUDGET & FUNDING

$20K – The art budget is all inclusive intended to cover artist fees, materials, proposal, travel, meetings, insurance, design, mock-ups, digital files, and plans to be integrated into the project and built by the selected contractor. Additional funds of $81K are reserved in the project budget for fabricating/installing the art and/or material deltas associated with the artist's final designs.

The project is funded by the City of Charlotte.

PROJECT LOCATION

The project will be located on the west side of Interstate 77 in the Town of Huntersville, NC. The park and ride will be sited on the south side of Hambright Road as seen in the attached conceptual plan.

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 Park & Ride 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                                    February 29 – March 31, 2024
• Deadline for Artists Submission        March 31, 2024
• Artist Selection                                  April 2024
• Artist Contract                                   April – May 2024
• Artist Proposal Development            Summer 2024
• Final Design                                      Winter 2024
• Bid/Construction                                2025 – 2026

CONTACT

For questions about this RFQ, please contact Chris Lange, Art in Transit Program Administrator, by email at clange@charlottenc.gov. 

Application Requirements

Eligible artists living or working in NC or SC are invited to submit their digital application materials for this open call through CaFÈ at www.callforentry.org .  There is no fee to apply. If you need technical assistance, please send an email to cafehelp@westaf.org, Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 5pm MT or call 303-629-1166. Applications must be received by 11:59 pm MDT time on March 31, 2024. Any project related questions must be submitted to staff by 2 pm EDT on March 28, 2024 in order to receive a response. Late applications will not be accepted. 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.
• Artist statement (1,000 words max)
• 1-2 page resume or CV of relevant experience
• Three professional references (name, title, organization, email, phone number).

Eligibility Criteria

Professional artists living or working in NC or SC 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.