PSTA, in partnership with the City of Clearwater, seeks an artist or team to develop artwork for the PSTA Clearwater MTC (Multimodal Transit Center) which will be a new multi-modal transportation facility in downtown Clearwater, Florida.

This art piece will be located within the city’s Downtown Core, in an area that will include the PSTA Clearwater MTC and a newly constructed Clearwater City Hall. The art is planned as a focal point within a small public plaza to enhance a sense of place in Clearwater’s Downtown and also to become a keystone for visitors and locals as they pass.  The location is at a designated “key corner” in Downtown Clearwater, and the plaza is proposed to draw people into the area through the creation of a dynamic and visually interesting space on a heavily traveled corridor. Court Street (State Road 60) is a one-way, west bound roadway at the site that continues west across a causeway as the main access to Clearwater Beach.

Court Street and South Myrtle Avenue are busy commuter streets and Court Street is the primary route to the beach, with high volumes of tourist and seasonal traffic. The sculpture will be set back into the small public plaza flanked by sidewalks and landscaping. Its backdrop will be the functional bus bays screened by landscaping elements. It is intended that pedestrians have a free flow to walk into and around the plaza space and that it flows into the MTC site to the north. Proposals to integrate colors and finishes into the plaza ground plane (for instance pavers) that extend outside the above-described envelope for the art piece will be considered. Vertical elements cannot project above or outside the envelope to ensure safe visibility for pedestrians and vehicular traffic at this intersection.

Pedestrians will use the sidewalks and area around the artwork as well as the crosswalks at the adjoining intersection that extend across both streets. The structure would sit upon a concrete base, and the base could be elevated. The base could serve for seating, or the addition of site furniture may be considered. The structure may contain a lighted element, either beneath the base to illuminate the work from within or it may be up-lit.

PROJECT GOALS

The following project goals will help guide the selection of the commissioned artwork:

1.      Promotes the City of Clearwater, its offerings, the nearby beaches, and enhances the site and the PSTA MTC.

2.      Themes and finishes considered should be appropriate to PSTA branding guidelines and the City of Clearwater.

3.      The artwork should enhance the key corner plaza The artwork may highlight the gateway to beaches. Themes and topics suggested but are not limited to water, beach, and sky.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The Clearwater MTC will be a new multimodal facility in Downtown Clearwater that will replace the existing Park Street Terminal that has long been overcrowded and needs significant repairs. The current Park Street Terminal cannot accommodate the existing circulation of buses and trolleys. Further, there is no room to accommodate future fleet expansions to implement new critical transit links, particularly the Tampa International Airport (TIA) to Clearwater Beach Express. The new Clearwater MTC project will be located in the block bounded by Court Street, South Myrtle Avenue, South East Avenue and Franklin Street in Downtown Clearwater. 

 The construction of the Clearwater MTC is a critical project for PSTA that will provide capacity to accommodate both existing and expanded transit services for both residents and visitors in one of the most popular tourist markets in Florida.  Project details: https://www.psta.net/about-psta/projects/clearwater-transit-center/

CITY BACKGROUND

The city of Clearwater is a vibrant coastal community of approximately 115,500 citizens located on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Clearwater is a progressive city that is committed to enhancing residents’ lives while preserving a heritage that is rich in culture and exquisite in landscape. Located approximately 30 minutes from both Tampa and St. Petersburg, Clearwater enjoys immediate access to natural amenities such as the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay, and cultural offerings from a variety of museums, galleries, concert venues, and theaters. Clearwater Beach is consistently voted one of the best beaches in the U.S. and brings in millions of visitors from around the world annually.

SITE DETAILS
The art installation will be part of the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) Clearwater Multi-modal Transit Center (MTC), located at the northwest corner of Court Street and South Myrtle Avenue in downtown Clearwater, Florida.

The art installation will encompass approximately 34.75 square yards at this public plaza located at a prominent intersection in the city of Clearwater which will be bounded by Court Street and South Myrtle Avenue and the bus bays / driveway. The general area for the art installation is triangular, dimensioned at 25 feet by 25 feet by 35 feet within the public plaza. The art with base may project a maximum of 15 feet into the air from the ground plane (see following exhibits).

ARTWORK POSSIBILITIES
Sculpture / Other

ARTIST RESPONSIBILITIES

1.      Artist shall provide services of first quality, and the workmanship must be in accordance with customary standards of the various trades and professionals involved in performing such services. The services and the work associated therewith shall be high-quality in all respects. No advantage will be taken by Artist in the omission of any part or detail of the services. The Artist will assume responsibility for all work, materials, equipment, and processes used in the performance of the services.

2.      Artist shall comply with all federal, state, county, and local laws, rules and/or regulations, and lawful orders of public authorities that, in any manner, could bear on the provision of services. Upon request, Artist shall furnish to PSTA certificates of compliance with all such laws, orders and regulations. Artist shall be responsible for obtaining all necessary permits and licenses required for performance.

3.      Artist shall warrant that it has not offered or given gratuities (in the form of entertainment, gifts, or otherwise) to any official or employee of PSTA with a view toward securing favorable treatment in the awarding, amending, or evaluating performance of this Agreement.

4.      Artist shall warrant that the services, and all goods and work associated therewith, do not infringe on any patent, trademark, copyright or trade secret of any third parties and agrees to defend, indemnify and hold PSTA, its officers, agents, employees, trustees and its successors and assigns, harmless from and against any and all liabilities, loss, damage or expense, including, without limitation, court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees, arising out of any infringement or claims of infringement of any patent, trade name, trademark, copyright or trade secret by reason of the sale or use of any goods or services purchased.  PSTA shall promptly notify Artist of any such claim.  PSTA makes no warranty that the production, sale or use of goods or services under the agreement for services will not give rise to any such claim and PSTA shall not be liable to the Artist for any such claim brought against the Artist. If any invention, improvement, or discovery of the Artist is conceived or first actually reduced to practice in the course of providing the services under the Agreement, and that invention, improvement, or discovery is patentable under the laws of the United States of America or any foreign country, the Artist agrees to notify PSTA immediately and provide a detailed report.  The rights and responsibilities of the Artist and PSTA with respect to such invention, improvement, or discovery will be determined in accordance with applicable Federal laws, regulations, policies, and any waiver thereof.

5.      Artist must execute a release and waiver releasing, waiving, disclaiming, and terminating rights provided to Artist under 17 U.S.C. § 106A, Visual Artist Rights Act of 1990.

6.      INDEMNFICATION: It is recognized that the Artist is an independent Artist.  The Artist agrees to assume liability for and indemnify, hold harmless, and defend PSTA, its board members, officers, employees, agents, and attorneys and the City and its Mayor, City Council members, officers, employees, agents and attorneys (“Releasees”) of, from, and against all liability and expense, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, in connection with any and all claims, demands, damages, actions, causes of action, and suits in equity of whatever kind or nature, including claims for personal injury, property damage, equitable relief, or loss of use, arising out of the execution, performance, nonperformance, or enforcement of any agreement, whether or not due to or caused by the negligence of Releasees, excluding only the sole negligence of Releasees. This includes claims made by the employees of the Artist against Releasees, and the Artist hereby waives its entitlement, if any, to immunity under Section 440.11, Florida Statutes.  Artist’s liability hereunder shall include all attorneys’ fees and costs incurred by Releasees in the enforcement of this indemnification provision.  Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, this indemnification provision shall not be construed as a waiver of any immunity from or limitation of liability to which Releasees are entitled to pursuant to the doctrine of sovereign immunity or Section 768.28, Florida Statutes.  The obligations contained in this provision shall survive termination of the Agreement, however terminated, and shall not be limited by the amount of any insurance required to be obtained or maintained under the Agreement.

 SELECTION CRITERIA

Artists will be evaluated on artistic excellence as evidenced by submitted materials; professional experience; and compatibility with the architectural design, key corner plaza, and the values of PSTA and the City of Clearwater. 

SELECTION PROCESS:

Submittals will be evaluated by a blind jury.  Based on the evaluations, up to five (5) finalists will be invited to submit a formal proposals / presentation with two (2) potential designs.  The final designs will be evaluated by a selection committee (members TBD) and the final design proposal will be chosen.

After finalists’ proposals / presentations, the selection committee will make a recommendation to PSTA for approval, prior to the award of a contract. Upon approval, a contract with the artist (or artist team) will be arranged between the artist and PSTA. All applicants will be notified about the outcome of their submissions. Please do not call or e-mail for an update on the status of the submission after the due date.

ART BUDGET

The total budget for this project is $250,000 to $300,000. Up to five finalists will be selected and invited to submit a formal proposal with two (2) potential designs, each artist / team will receive an honorarium of $1,000 to be deducted from the project budget to develop the formal proposal materials and travel to any scheduled presentations, if required.

The artwork budget is a set amount and must cover all costs associated with the artwork including but not limited to design, Florida-sealed engineering drawings, production, transport, installation, site preparation, travel expenses, permits, identification plaque, taxes and any insurance, as required.

PROJECT TIMELINE

Call to Artists: August 20, 2024

Submission Deadline: November 1, 2024

Finalists Notified: December 2, 2024

Formal Proposal Due: January 31, 2025

Stakeholder Reviews: February 3 to February 14, 2025

Artists/Art Selected: February 21, 2025

Contract with Artist: April 1, 2025

Fabrication and Installation: April 1, 2025 to early 2027 - to be coordinated with completion of MTC facility.

Application Requirements

ARTIST ELIGIBILITY

This request for qualifications is open to all artists or artist-teams residing in the United States that can demonstrate a level of experience and professionalism that is commensurate with this project’s scope and budget.

Eligibility Criteria

ARTWORK COMMISSION

An artist is sought to design a major art installation located on the project site.

1.      The art shall be a permanent installation and shall be a site-specific, site-integrated, and site-sensitive work commissioned for installation on public property.

2.      The art is to serve as a keystone and landmark to highlight the area, to enhance the site, and instill pride for the Clearwater community. It is intended to create/enhance the plaza at the corner. The art may celebrate the area’s history.

3.      Upon completion of the work, the art will be owned by PSTA.

4.      The ground area is a triangular space located at the northwest corner of Court Street & South Myrtle Avenue nestled into a like-shaped niche behind the sidewalk. The ground plane dimensions form a triangle of approximately 25 feet by 25 feet by 35 feet. (Please see following exhibits for plans and views of the existing and future area for the installation.  Note building and canopy design are still in development).

5.      The area extends upward from this perimeter approximately 15 feet to fix a determined envelope and maximum height for the art installation. Existing utility poles, pedestrian call button poles, and roadway signage may be adjacent to the perimeter of the triangle but will not encroach upon it.

6.      The work should incorporate lighting or be lighted from surrounding ground mount units.

7.      Art materials, finishes, and colors will be reviewed to be appropriate with the surrounding project architecture in development, environment, palette, and desired context. Design should use or complement the PSTA color palette. (See separate style guide.)

8.      Forms of public art include but are not limited to: 

a)      sculpture in the round or in any of the following forms or types: bas-relief, mobiles, environmental, kinetic, electronic, etc., in any material or combination of materials

b)      ceramic, wood, metal, plastics, glass, stone, mosaics, and other materials

c)      technological media that may develop through artistic pursuit or adaptation of digital, audio, video or graphic media, or use of lighting.

d)      Artwork may include text or signage, but is not required to include any specific signage or wayfinding elements. Any words or messages included must be relevant to the space and the site and should not distract motorists.

9.      Artificial Intelligence Generated Art: Artwork shall be the original creative product of the artist. Artist agrees not to use AI-generated or AI-altered images, artwork, design, and other visual elements for the artwork.