The City of Kansas City, Missouri One Percent for Art program seeks to commission a U.S.-based professional visual artist or artist team to design, fabricate, and install a permanent 3-D, sculpture &/or surface-based artwork for a circular plaza near the intersection of 75th and Wornall Streets in Kansas City, Missouri’s historic Waldo neighborhood. Preference will be given to artists based in the Kansas City, Missouri Combined Statistical Area.

2-5 semifinalist artists will be asked to advance to the RFP phase and propose designs. All semifinalist proposals must be designed to be installed on the 32' circular plaza at the site. Semifinalists will be paid a design proposal stipend of $3,750.

Project Background

In 2015, the City and the Waldo Community Improvement District conducted an assessment of the intersection of 75th Street and Wornall Road in order to evaluate traffic capacity, safety, and walkability of the intersection. The study resulted in recommendations that are aimed to improve traffic flow, while at the same time improve the intersection so that it incorporates features to improve pedestrian friendliness. The study also identified ways to extend the Trolley Track Trail between 74th Street and 75th Street, thereby eliminating a major barrier for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Since that time, the City, working with the Waldo CID, has received a $5 million grant to implement the results of the study. The City has appropriated funds for the reconstruction of curbs and sidewalks along Wornall Road from 74th and 75th Street. Given the extensive work proposed, the City is now aiming to completely reconstruct Wornall Road from 74th Street to 79th Street, a stretch of roadway that is well worn and beyond ordinary maintenance. This is significant work that, when completed, will improve this key commercial corridor within Waldo.

About the Site

Exterior, public-facing, 32’ diameter circular plaza enhancing a new surface parking lot and streetscape project near the intersection of 75th and Wornall Streets in Kansas City, Missouri’s historic Waldo neighborhood.

Google Maps view: link here

75th and Wornall Site Improvements & Construction Updates

https://www.kcmo.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/115/1750

About the Kansas City One Percent for Art Program

https://www.kcmo.gov/art

Artwork requirements

Artworks may be 3-D, sculptural or surface-based, must be created from durable materials to withstand weather and pedestrian interaction. Artwork may be thematic, incorporate lighting, engage pedestrians, or include interactive components. All semifinalist artwork proposals must be designed to fit within and be installed on the circular plaza at the site.

All artistic elements may be required to comply with applicable building codes, such as but not limited to the Americans with Disabilities Act and the 2018 International Building Code (IBC). The 75th & Wornall streetscape project team may review proposed elements relative to such requirements, including potential safety and/or security considerations.

Budget

The budget available for this project is $250,000, all inclusive. Budget may include, but is not limited to, artist's fees, travel, engineering, fabrication, supplies, material costs, meeting and administration hours, labor, artists legal review fees, approval by a Missouri-licensed engineer, permits, licenses, insurance, lighting, equipment rental, shipping, delivery, documentation, installation.

Question and Answer Period

Questions related to this project for the KCMO Public Art Administrator or the 75th & Wornall streetscape Project Manager should be emailed to the Public Art Administrator at james.martin@kcmo.org by Monday, June 24, 2024, 5:00 p.m. Central. Questions received by this deadline will be answered through an addendum on this CaFÉ Call for Artists after the Artist Q&A videoconference described below. Answers to written questions also may be answered during the Q&A sessions if time allows.

Virtual Q&A Sessions

Virtual Q&A sessions with the streetscape project manager and the public art administrator will be held on the following days:

• 5:30 p.m. Central Tuesday, June 25 Join the meeting now
• 5:30 p.m. Central Wednesday, June 26 Join the meeting now

ADDENDUM

Question and answer sessions were held on June 25 and 26. Recordings of the Q&A sessions are located at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1c_UFdEStsml7YY1Yk7k2Rd_WqQYOEtUH?usp=sharing. The session from the 25th lasts about 40 minutes and the session from the 26th lasts about 15 minutes.

Websites referred to in the recordings are as follows:

Art City - KC STUDIO

75th and Wornall Improvements | Capital Project Updates | CITY OF KANSAS CITY | OFFICIAL WEBSITE (kcmo.gov)

New work of public art for Maplewoods Parkway (kcparks.org)

Use of Artificial Intelligence tools

Artists using artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the creation of their portfolio or semifinalist proposal must identify the use of AI in the information accompanying each image.

Evaluation Criteria

The City will select what in its sole judgment it determines to be the qualified candidate or candidates that is in the best interest of the City. Any evaluation criteria or weighting of criteria is used by the City only as a tool to assist the City in selecting the best candidate for the City. The City may change criteria and criteria weights at any time. Evaluation scores or ranks do not create any right in or expectation to a contract regardless of any score or ranking given to any candidate.

The Public Art Administrator will review all semifinalist proposals to ensure that they meet application requirements and physical limitations of the site, if applicable.

The 75th and Wornall Artist Selection Panel will use the following evaluation criteria:

Excellence: Works of art in the artist's application are original, innovative, of exceptional quality and enduring value. 

Relevant prior experience: The artist has created projects of a similar scale and budget and has experience coordinating with multiple stakeholders such as--but not limited to--architects, city project management staff, general contractors, engineers, fabricators and union tradespeople--or the artist is jointly submitting the qualifications of a collaborator that has created such projects and that has such experience.

Appropriateness to the site and project: Works of art in the application indicate that the artist is likely to be sensitive to the social, economic, cultural, historical and physical context of the site and the surrounding neighborhood, either existing or planned.

Durability: Works of art in the artist's application utilize materials and processes likely to contribute to the longevity of public works of art, or the artist is willing to adopt such practices by collaborating with a partner with relevant specialized expertise.

Selection Process

The Kansas City, Missouri Public Art Administrator will recommend selection panelists to the Municipal Art Commission for approval. The selection panel will consider resumes and portfolios residing on CaFÉ and select 2-5 semifinalists. Semifinalists will be paid a design proposal stipend of $3,750. The selection panel will interview the semifinalists, review their proposals and budgets and select the finalist and one alternate.

The finalist artist’s proposal will be presented to the Municipal Art Commission for approval prior to development of a contract. All contracts may be subject to approval by City Council.

Tentative Schedule

• Late May, 2024: Call for Artists distributed
• Monday, June 24, 2024, 5:00 p.m. Central: Written question and answer period deadline
• Virtual Q&A sessions
  • 5:30 p.m. Central Tuesday, June 25 Join the meeting now
  • 5:30 p.m. Central Wednesday, June 26 Join the meeting now
• 11:59 p.m. Friday, July 19 Mountain Time Zone: Application deadline
• Late July 2024: Semifinalists selected and notified
• Late September 2024: Semifinalist artists’ proposal presentations (virtual)
• October-November 2024: Artist contract executed
• December 2024/January 2025: Artist procures materials, begins fabricating art
• Art installation: Late summer/early autumn 2025
• Artwork dedication: Within 1 week of installation, if applicable

Changes in the Call for Artists

From time to time, engineering, construction, or other factors may require the City to amend its selection criteria. After this Call for Artists (“CFA”) is issued, the City, in its sole discretion, may change anything contained in this CFA at any time, including after the application due date. If the change is prior to the application due date, the City reserves the right, when considered necessary or appropriate, to modify this CFA with an addendum. If the City shall amend the CFA after the application due date, the City may, in its sole discretion, solicit new applications in an amended CFA from anyone or everyone, regardless of whether an applicant submitted an application in response to the original CFA.

Application Requirements

• Work samples on CaFÉ. All applications must be submitted through this CaFÉ Call for Artists. Up to ten (10) Images and three (3) videos of your original completed commissions, not proposals, which demonstrate your qualifications for the project. Three-dimensional models, sketches, or drawings will not be accepted. You must include the title, medium, dimensions, project budget or price, year completed and location (if applicable) for each work. The value must be indicated in US dollars. Artists who need access to a computer and/or internet access are encouraged to seek assistance from their local library or KC BizCare, 816-513-2492.
• Artist resume
• Residency location

Eligibility Criteria

All applications must be submitted through this CaFÉ Call for Artists.

Eligibility is limited to professional visual artist teams or artists at least 18 years of age based in the United States. Preference will be given for artists based in the Kansas City Combined Statistical Area (CSA). The Kansas City CSA includes the Missouri counties of Andrew, Bates, Buchanan, Caldwell, Cass, Clay, Clinton, DeKalb, Jackson, Lafayette, Platte, Ray and the Kansas counties of Doniphan, Douglas, Franklin, Johnson, Leavenworth, Linn, Miami, Wyandotte.

Artists previously contracted for a City of Kansas City, Missouri One Percent for Art commission within two years of their past project’s contract execution date are not eligible.

Full-time, permanent City of Kansas City, Missouri employees, General Services Department and Public Works Department project consultants and their employees and sub-consultants are ineligible.

Collaborators and teams are eligible to apply. Resumes/CVs of all collaborators must be uploaded to CaFÉ as a single PDF with multiple pages.

Artists who need access to a computer and/or internet access are encouraged to seek assistance from their local library or KC BizCare, 816-513-2492.