Call Description

About the project

Exterior, public-facing site near a busy intersection. The goal of this mural project is to improve a retaining wall at the southwest corner of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Swope Parkway. This is the former location of Neighborhoods and Housing Department offices.

The retaining wall measures approximately 20’ high x 130’ wide. The city will prep and prime the wall to receive a mural. 2-5 semifinalist artists will be asked to advance to the RFP phase and propose designs. Semifinalists will be paid a design proposal stipend of $1,000.

Budget

The budget available for this project is $30,000, all inclusive. Expenses may include, but is not limited to, artist's fees, travel, fabrication, supplies, material costs, meeting and administration hours, labor, artist’s legal review fees, permits, licenses, insurance, lighting, equipment rental, shipping, delivery, documentation, and installation.

Question and Answer Period

Questions related to this project for the KCMO Public Art Administrator should be emailed to james.martin@kcmo.org by Monday, April 7, 2025, 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 public art administrator will be held on the following days:

• 5:30 p.m. Central Tuesday, April 8  Join the meeting now
• 5:30 p.m. Central Wednesday, April 9  Join the meeting now

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 MLK and Swope 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 artist’s resumes, portfolios and letters of interest residing on CaFÉ and select 2-5 semifinalists. Semifinalists will be paid a design proposal stipend of $1,000. 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 developing a contract. All contracts may be subject to approval by City Council or by the city’s executive leadership.

Tentative Schedule

• March 14, 2025: Call for Artists distributed
• Monday, April 7, 2025, 5:00 p.m. Central: Written question and answer period deadline
• Virtual Q&A sessions
  • 5:30 p.m. Central Tuesday, April 8  Join the meeting now
  • 5:30 p.m. Central Wednesday, April 9  Join the meeting now
• 11:59 p.m. Monday, May 5 Mountain Time Zone: Application deadline
• May 2025: Semifinalists selected and notified
• Late June 2025: Semifinalist artists’ proposal presentations (virtual), finalist selected
• July 2025: Artist contract executed
• August 2025: Artist procures materials, begins fabricating art
• Completion Fall 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.

About the Kansas City One Percent for Art Program

https://www.kcmo.gov/art

Application Requirements

• Work samples on CaFÉ. All applications must be submitted through this CaFÉ Call for Artists. Up to ten (10) Images and three (6) 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
• Letter of interest
• 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 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.