Download full project specifications here.

REQUIREMENTS (continued):
Letter of Interest
Resume/CV
List providing details of your portfolio images, such as title, date, materials, size and budget

Eligibility

Professional visual artists, or artist teams, at least 18 years of age are eligible. Artists located outside of the United States are requested to use a U.S.-based fabricator. Demonstrated experience working with diverse community stakeholders is desired. Full-time, permanent City of Kansas City, Missouri employees, project consultants, project contractors, and their employees and sub-contractors are ineligible to apply.

Public Art Intent and Goals

The City of Kansas City, Missouri One Percent for Art program seeks to commission works of art that advance public understanding of visual art and enhance the quality of public places by selecting a qualified artist who can innovatively and thoughtfully design within the context of this project. The public art at KCI should reflect our City’s diverse demographics and should welcome travelers of all backgrounds to experience art in an inclusive environment.

Commission Description

The City of Kansas City, Missouri One Percent for Art program seeks to commission a professional visual artist, or artist team, to create public art to be placed in The New Single Terminal at KCI airport.

Large-scale ceramic installations will be located at the north and south walls of the check-in hall adjacent to the glazing. The size and extent are to be proposed by the artist. Ceramics will be displayed on a plinth, to be designed and engineered within the project budget. Materials and construction are to be approved by the terminal architect. The plinth is designed to prevent passengers from passing between curtain wall and plinth.

Ceramic works should avoid incorporating visible apertures that would allow passengers to dispose of trash. Bracing is to be provided by artist to prevent overturning in a seismic event. Engineering of the installation is to be provided by a licensed structural engineer subcontracted to the artist. Any attachments to the terminal structure are to be approved by the project structural engineer.

About the Site: Check-In Hall 

All departing passengers pass through the check-in hall on their way to security and then to the gates. The hall marks a major moment in the passenger experience as a “front door” for Kansas City. Distinctive steel “Y” columns support the roof and provide a broad, column-free interior space measuring over 700 feet long. 90 feet wide, and 35 feet high.

The Hall is appointed with terrazzo flooring, bronze-colored facade supports, natural hemlock wood ceilings and a monumental wall of vein-cut Missouri limestone.

Download full project specifications here.

KCI Background

When it debuted on November 21, 1972, the three-terminal Kansas City International airport was at the forefront of modern aviation. With runways designed for jumbo jets and visions of supersonic travel, it was an early example of “drive to your gate” design, the ultimate in airport convenience. The terminals’ once revolutionary design is now dated, space is cramped, and amenities no longer meet travelers’ expectations. Added security requirements have also complicated the travel process by further reducing available space.

Over the years, there have been several initiatives to renovate the existing terminals or perhaps even construct an entirely new terminal. In 1995 and 2009 two KCI Master Plans recommended a single terminal.

A more in-depth study was conducted in 2013 by the City of Kansas City, Missouri City Council that included passenger goals, objectives and preferences. The Mayor’s Airport Terminal Advisory Group, the Aviation Department and its airline partners concluded a new, single-terminal design would be the best option to bring KCI up to modern standards and amenities.

In November 2017, Kansas City, Missouri voters overwhelmingly approved construction of a single airport terminal with 76 percent in favor.

The New Single Terminal and Parking at KCI Project Description

At just over one million square feet, the Kansas City International Airport Single Terminal is the largest single infrastructure project in the City’s history. It will have a profound and lasting economic impact on the region in the form of new jobs, opportunities for local and small businesses, and a first-class traveler experience for airport users.

Completion is estimated in Spring 2023, with 39 gates and the ability to expand to 50 in the future. The project will also include a seven-story 6,200-space parking structure along landside and airside improvements.

The new terminal will support more efficient airline operations and allow airport users to enjoy the convenience of modern air travel in a facility with updated technology and amenities, close parking, spacious gate areas, and ample food and beverage options.

Kansas City is being recognized more and more as a world-class city. The New Single Terminal and Parking at KCI will greet visitors with a warm Kansas City welcome and send hometown travelers off in style.

Delivering a World-Class New Terminal for Kansas City

A new airport terminal that reflects the core values and aspirations of Kansas City.

The development of a new terminal at Kansas City International Airport will enhance Kansas City's world-class reputation by adding a world-class airport terminal that will spur economic development, increase the long-term capacity of M/WBE and local firms, and build the workforce of the future.

The New Single Terminal and Parking at KCI project will be part of Kansas City’s One Percent for Art program, which began in 1986 and now features over 45 works of public art.

Total Budget

The total public art budget for the New Single Terminal and Parking is $5.65 million (US dollars). The individual art locations and budgets are as follows:

Location: Check-In Hall, large-scale ceramics

Location Budget: up to $400,000, all inclusive

Budget includes, but is not limited to, stipends, design fees, travel, fabrication, supplies, material costs, delivery, approval by a Missouri-licensed engineer, lighting materials, installation, etc.

Submission Materials

Please submit the following via this CaFE RFQ by no later than Saturday, February 13, 2021 by 11:59 p.m. MST by 11:59 p.m. MST. Submissions received after this deadline will not be considered. The KCMO Public Art Administrator reserves the right to conduct on-site or telephone interviews to clarify submission materials as needed.

Letter of Intent, up to 1 page

• Clearly describe your interest in the project and how you will be able to contribute to its success.
• Articulate your interest and/or experience in public art design, fabrication &/or project collaboration.
• Summarize your experience in developing and/or executing creative projects of this scope in the public realm in the Kansas City metropolitan area (if applicable), airports, and beyond (e.g. site-responsive art installations, interactive and participatory artworks, multimedia projects, creative placemaking events, festivals, etc.).

Resume/CV

• Artist’s Experience: list your professional experience including any commissions, residencies, touring, exhibitions, collaborations, and projects involving the community and work in the public sector.
• Education: list your educational background and training.
• Experience working with organizations, institutions, developers, locally and beyond.
• Include up to 3 professional references

Images, video, audio or multi-media

A relevant body of work that demonstrates conceptual, aesthetic, and technical mastery in at least one artistic medium. Attach up to 10 .pdf or jpg. images &/or links and/or up to 6 each audio and/or video files.

Image List
A list providing details of your portfolio images, such as title, year made, materials, dimensions and budget.

Evaluation Criteria

The Selection Panel will use the following evaluation criteria to select an artist or artist team:

• Excellence: Works of art in the artist's portfolio 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; or, is jointly submitting the qualifications of a collaborator that has created such projects and that has such experience.
• Appropriateness to site and project: Works of art in the portfolio 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 portfolio utilize materials and processes likely to contribute to the longevity of public works of art, especially for projects that will be located outdoors, or is willing to adopt such practices by collaborating with a partner with relevant specialized expertise.
• Diversity, equity and inclusion: The City of Kansas City, Missouri seeks a diverse, equitable and inclusive group of artists to produce public art for the New Single Terminal and Parking at KCI. Selection panelists will consider diversity, equity and inclusion when evaluating artists in conjunction with the City’s policies on contracting and hiring practices. 

Selection Process

The selected semifinalist artists will be notified by mid-March 2021.

The Kansas City, Missouri Public Art Administrator, in conjunction with the Kansas City, Missouri Municipal Art Commission, will convene one or more selection panels to evaluate the submissions. Selection panels are comprised of area arts professionals, project stakeholders, and community members such as Municipal Art Commission appointees. Up to three semi-finalists will be selected and paid a $4,000 stipend to develop a proposal (RFP) to present to the selection panel. The selection panel will review the semi-finalist proposals, budgets and qualifications (images of work, resume/CV, letter of interest, references, and select one or more artist(s) or artist teams, and one alternate. The selected artist/artist team'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 the Kansas City City Council.

Semi-finalist and finalist artists seeking assistance with City of Kansas City, Missouri contract requirements should contact KC BizCare, https://www.kcmo.gov/programs-initiatives/kc-bizcare or 816-513-2492.

For questions outside of BizCare’s scope of services, artists may be referred to other resources. BizCare and other City employees and/or contractors are not authorized to give legal advice to artists. Semi-finalist and finalist artists may find it advantageous to consult with an attorney while discussing contract terms with the City.

Contract

Selected artists will be required to sign a contract outlining expectations, timelines and requirements for creating art at the New Single Terminal and Parking at KCI Project per the City of Kansas City, Missouri.

Question and Answers

Questions related to this project should be sent to artsbuildkci@gmail.com no later than January 10, 2021. Frequently asked questions are located at https://www.buildkci.com/art/.

[Addendum 1/29/2021: Check-In Hall large scale ceramics Q & A:

Q: Can I propose a sculpture made of another material (glass, fiberglass, painted surface, etc.) that looks like ceramics for the Check-In Hall?

A: No. We are specifically looking for large-scale ceramics in this space.

Q: 50lb per sq ft? Is that correct? How can my ceramic work meet those weight restrictions? Please clarify.

A: Using an allowable load of 50 lb/ft2, for an area of 7.5' x 30' a maximum total allowable load is 7.5'x30'x50lb/ft2 = 11,250 lbs. This load shall be distributed across the area via framing within the plinth. Plinth and installation loading to be confirmed with terminal engineer of record.  

Q: What will my ceramic piece be attached to for stability?

A: The installation shall be stable in an earthquake and shall not attach to any other piece of structure besides the plinth/floor.

Q: How long do I have to create large ceramics pieces, as they are multi-step and time-consuming?

A: Artwork can be created in sections and will be installed no later than Dec 2022.

The January 6th & 9th recorded Artist Information Sessions are posted online for your reference. Links below.

Virtual Artist Information Sessions were held to educate artists, art teams and art fabricators about opportunities for upcoming One Percent for Art public commissions for the New Single Terminal and Parking at Kansas City International Airport. These sessions covered RFPs for large-scale ceramics, connector experiential artwork, parking garage stairwells and arrivals roadway.

Jan 6th, 2021: VIEW RECORDED SESSION HERE

Jan 9th, 2021: VIEW RECORDED SESSION HERE

For more FAQs visit: https://www.buildkci.com/art/

Artist Information Sessions

Artist Information Sessions will be offered via videoconference Wed Jan 6th 5:30-7pm CST & Sat Jan 9th, 10am-11:30am CST. These sessions will be recorded for later review. Questions and answers resulting from these sessions will be added to this RFQ as an FAQ Addendum.

To register for the Artist Information Sessions visit https://www.buildkci.com/call-for-artists/.

Schedule

RFQ issued: December 18, 2020
Artist Information Sessions:  Wed Jan 6th 5:30-7pm CST & Sat Jan 9th, 10am-11:30am CST (See above)
Questions due to artsbuildkci@gmail.com by January 10, 2020
Answers to questions issued by addendum to RFQ: by January 16, 2020
RFQ due: February 13, 2021 11:59pm MST
Shortlist Artist notified: mid-March 2021
RFP issued: mid-March
RFP due: May 15, 2021
Interviews conducted between: May 15-31, 2021
Finalist notified: June 2021
Design, Site Visits, Coordination, Fabrication: 2021-2022
Artwork installation completed no later than: December 2022
Airport Opens: March 2023

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria