OPPORTUNITY

The Ann Arbor Art Commission is dedicated to furthering an emerging arts scene in our increasingly diverse population. The commission believes that art connects, heals, inspires, teaches, and speaks to us in myriad ways that build stronger and more vibrant communities. Public art gives our community a collective voice and a way to express our values while it brings awareness of and beauty to both the physical and cultural landscape of our city.

Reflective of this commitment to public art, the City of Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Services Area is seeking to commission an artist or artist team to design a unique public artwork for the new Barton-Bandemer Park Pedestrian Tunnel Project in Ann Arbor, MI.  The concrete tunnel will house metal panels, mounted several inches off each wall, to hide lighting fixtures that will backlight the metal panels and provide ambient uplighting to the tunnel interior.  The selected artist will design a 2D image to be laser cut out from the metal panels.  The community desires a work that positively reflects the themes of nature or the Huron River and integrates well into the park and trail’s natural setting.

Construction on the new tunnel is anticipated to begin in Spring of 2025 and be completed in Summer of 2025.  See project background and details for more information.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The Barton-Bandemer Park Pedestrian Tunnel project will be a newly constructed pedestrian underpass below the Amtrak railroad to allow people to safely cross between Bandemer Park and the Barton Nature Area on Ann Arbor’s northwest side.  This construction continues the growing link along 38 miles of the regional Border to Border Trail (B2B Trail) through Washtenaw County, which connects parks along the Huron River from the VanBuren Township (Wayne County) to Pickney and Stockbridge, MI (Livingston County).  This tunnel will be a gateway along the B2B Trail into and out of Ann Arbor’s west side.

The tunnel, constructed of fifteen concrete box culvert segments, is  16’ wide, 10’ tall, and 60’ long.  The exterior facing wing walls will have a split-faced stone façade. Pedestrians and cyclists will approach the tunnel on a sloped, descending concrete pathway below the surrounding grades, which will be restored with native plants that reflect the character of the park.  Metal panels (each measuring 4’ wide x 5’ tall) will be attached to each side of the tunnel's interior to create a continuous surface (approximately 56’ in length per side). Each panel will sit on top of a 12” concrete curb, and will be offset from the concrete wall approximately 5-6”.  This gap between the concrete wall and the metal panels will allow lighting to be mounted in two locations: (1) on top of the 12” concrete curb to illuminate the panels from behind, and (2) just below the top of the panels to uplight the tunnel interior.  Pole-mounted pedestrian lights will also be included leading up to the tunnel from either side.   

The City’s tunnel contractor will procure and install the panels and lighting under the primary construction contract. This call seeks to select an artist to develop the design for the metal panels themselves and then to work with a pre-identified fabricator to fine-tune the design for production. Artists do not need to know metal fabrication techniques or how to operate metal machining equipment.

PROJECT DETAILS

Site 

To preview and download high-quality images of the site plan, renderings, and construction documents, please visit the Ann Arbor Art Center's Calls for Art webpage. 

Proposal and Design Requirements

• The design will be laser-cut by a metal fabrication shop chosen and hired by the City of Ann Arbor’s tunnel contractor.
• Public safety requirements demand that any negative space in the design shall NOT exceed 4" in diameter and the design shall not include protrusions or other potential hazards that could create entrapments, snagging of clothing, or potential injury to the public trail users.
• Artists must propose artwork for both sides of the tunnel interior.  Artists can reference the provided elevation (page 22 of this packet) to assist in designing and/or representing their art proposal.
• Artists must propose an overall drawing, sketch, elevation or vector image that encompasses the entirety of the design for each of the two interior walls, as well as a sample design for a single panel.
• Artists should propose an intended material and/or surface finish (corten steel, brushed aluminum, a powder-coated finish, or other).  Material choice will be negotiated subject to market pricing and required maintenance and upkeep by the City of Ann Arbor.  Stainless steel will not be considered for this project.

Budget

The budget for this commission is $8,500, which will be allocated to the final artist/team selected. This contract amount is inclusive of all costs associated with the design of the project, including, but not limited to, the artist's design fee, artist's assistant costs, the cost necessary to turn the final design into a vector image suitable for use by the fabricator, artist's time consulting with the fabricators and parks team, travel to and from the site, per diem expenses, project documentation, a contingency to cover unexpected expenses, and any other costs. The City of Ann Arbor will cover the cost of metal fabrication, installation, and lighting.

Eligibility

The City is seeking an artist or artist team who can commit to working remotely and/or in Ann Arbor as necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of this project. Any artist or artist team residing in the United States can apply.

The selected artist(s) must be able to deliver the final image in a vector format suitable for use by the metal fabricator. Artists do not need to know metal fabrication techniques or how to operate metal machining equipment.

Selection Process

All applications will be reviewed by a panel of representatives from the City of Ann Arbor's Public Art Commission, Parks Advisory Commission, Parks and Recreation Services Area Staff, local public art community representatives, and other designees. Applicants will be evaluated based on the following criteria:  

• Artist Written Proposal Statement and Visual Support
• Quality, creativity, and strength of past work examples
• Demonstrated experience, interest, and qualifications to design an image within budget, timeline, and technical constraints.
• Artist Resume and References
• Alignment with project goals and community input

The selection panel will choose two to three semi-finalists. The semi-finalists will further their concept and create site-specific proposals, renderings, and details for the City's final selection. These artists or artist teams will then be interviewed in person or virtually. Artists will be paid a $500 honorarium for this work. Semi-finalists must submit a complete W-9 to receive payment and the final selected artist will sign a contract for the artwork provided by the City.

Timeline

All dates except the submission deadline are approximate, subject to change, and are presented for guidance only. 

• Call Submission Deadline: June 23, 2024 at 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time
• 3 Semi-finalists Selected: mid-July, 2024: UPDATE: All artists will be notified mid-August 2024
• Semi-finalists Proposals Due and Interviews coordinated:mid-August, 2024 UPDATE: mid-September 2024
• Finalist Awarded: September 2024
• Final Design Approval: December 2024
• Fabrication Completed and Installation: Summer 2025

SCOPE OF WORK

Artists Responsibilities

• Research to better understand the site, the project, the community's history, and current culture, along with any other elements deemed helpful to their creative process
• Develop concepts, digital drawings, and renderings for the project site
• Present concepts and refinements for final design approval
• Work in collaboration with the City of Ann Arbor and fabricators when finalizing the artwork design, making design changes as necessary
• Submit a final vector-based file for the fabricators to implement into production
• Fulfill the responsibilities within the contracted budget and timeline
• Participate in an unveiling ceremony in summer or fall of 2025

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS 

• Written Proposal Statement
• Visual Support, including overall sketches and a detail sketch of a sample panel
• CV/Resume
• 3 References
• Artist Bio
• 5-10 Past Work Images. Videos are permitted.

FOR QUESTIONS:

This Call-for-Art is managed in collaboration with the City of Ann Arbor by the A2AC’s Art in Public Program.  Please direct your questions to The Ann Arbor Art Center artinpublic@annarborartcenter.org | 734-926-4122

ABOUT ANN ARBOR ART CENTER

For over a century, the nonprofit A2AC (Ann Arbor Art Center) has sparked creativity in people of all ages, backgrounds, and artistic abilities. Our mission is to be a contemporary forum for the visual arts through education, exploration, collaboration, and exhibition. We aim to engage minds, expand perspectives, and inspire growth in students of all ages, teachers, artists, and the community. We are empowered to carry out our mission through the support of individuals, corporations, and foundations who believe in the value of our work and in creativity’s essential role in sustaining and elevating our everyday experience. In fulfilling our mission, the Art Center is a regional visual arts hub. It prioritizes the long-standing partnerships we cultivate as a keystone for Ann Arbor’s healthy cultural and civic life ecosystem.

Application Requirements

• Written Proposal Statement
• Visual Support, including overall sketches and a detail sketch of a sample panel
• CV/Resume
• 3 References
• Artist Bio
• 5-10 Past Work Images. Videos are permitted.

Eligibility Criteria

The City is seeking an artist or artist team who can commit to working remotely and/or in Ann Arbor as necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of this project. Any artist or artist team residing in the United States can apply.

The selected artist(s) must be able to deliver the final image in a vector format suitable for use by the metal fabricator. Artists do not need to know metal fabrication techniques or how to operate metal machining equipment.