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.

Project Background

The City of Kansas City, Missouri One Percent for Art program seeks to commission a professional visual artist, or artist team, to design art for the protective fencing area on the new Grand Avenue Pedestrian and Bike Bridge.

The total budget available for this project is $200,000. The RFQ deadline is Friday, August 6, 2021, 11:59 Mountain Time Zone.

On April 4, 2017, Kansas City voters approved an infrastructure repair plan funded by General Obligation bonds, a plan known as GO KC. Residents voted on three ballot questions. Question #1 called for approving the issuance of $600 million in bonds over a 20-year period to repair streets, bridges and sidewalks, including trails.

One of the major streets, bridges and sidewalks projects is the construction of the Grand Avenue Pedestrian and Bike Bridge.

This new bicycle and pedestrian bridge will be adjacent to the existing Grand Boulevard vehicular bridge and will provide a safe and continuous connection between the River Market neighborhood/business district to the developing Berkley Riverfront Park area. This connection will be completed in tandem with the future Kansas City Streetcar Riverfront Extension project and is necessary to complete the overall planning improvements recognized in the Streetcar expansion study. Pedestrians are currently forced to walk along the edge of the vehicular lanes since no accommodations are provided on the current bridge. When the North Streetcar expansion project is constructed, the streetcars will utilize the current vehicular lanes on the existing bridge making the environment even more hazardous to bicycles and pedestrians.

The Riverfront development has continued to expand and now provides residential units, businesses, and recreational opportunities. The demographics of this new user base have heightened the need to provide safer access for the increasing number of bicyclists and pedestrians who are traversing between the Riverfront and River Market. Currently the only connection is the outdated Grand Boulevard vehicular bridge. This connection is included in the proposed Bike KC plan and the pedestrian accommodations will be developed in accordance with the City’s Walkability plan to complete the missing pedestrian link to Berkley Park.

Eligibility

Professional visual artists or artist teams based in the United States at least 18 years of age are eligible, with a preference for artists who live or work in the Missouri counties of Cass, Clay, Jackson, Platte, and Ray County, or the Kansas counties of Johnson and Wyandotte.

Demonstrated experience working with diverse community stakeholders is desired. Full-time, permanent City of Kansas City, Missouri employees, project consultants and their employees and sub-consultants are ineligible to apply.

Budget

The public art budget for the Grand Avenue Bike and Pedestrian Bridge project is up to $200,000. The selected artist(s) will provide original, site-responsive public art for the protective fencing area of the pedestrian and bike bridge.

Question and Answer Period
Questions related to this project for the KCMO Public Art Adminstrator or the Grand Avenue Pedestrian and Bike Bridge should be emailed to the Public Art Administrator at james.martin@kcmo.org by 5:00 p.m. CDT Friday, July 9. Questions received by this deadline will be answered in writing on this CaFE Call for Artists listing via a RFQ addendum after the Artist Information Session described below. Questions may also be answered during the Artist Information Session described below if time allows.

Artist Information Session
A videoconference artist information session with the KCMO Public Art Administrator and the Grand Avenue Pedestrian and Bike Bridge Project Manager will be held via videoconference 11 a.m. CDT, Monday, July 12 via the following videoconference link:

Click here to join the meeting

Or call in (audio only)

+1 872-212-5076,,602792130#   United States, Chicago

Phone Conference ID: 602 792 130#

Addendum: Q & A and artist information session recording

Q: Can you record the artist information session?

A: The recording of the artist information session is located at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rktvhnrqWDxNajIrHMpo7DeQ-V8yd_bV/view?usp=sharing

Q: Is it possible to share with us any images of the fence we are to clad with artwork?

A: Final decisions have not been made about the design of the protective fencing area. One option being considered is a concrete crash-tested barrier topped by a metal railing. Please refer to the Site Details link near the top of this Call for Artists page for examples of barrier and railing styles.

There are two railroad crossings with fencing already specified that will not be part of the public art project. Please refer to the Site Details link near the top of this Call for Artists page for more information.

Q: Do you envision a sculpture serving as an entryway identity statement for the bridge? Do you envision art that happens all along the bridge itself and integrated into the fencing somehow? The image provided does not state where the art is to be located.

A: As a neutral, non-voting administrator of Kansas City‘s public art process, the Public Art Administrator cannot comment on the advisability or desirability of a project serving as an entryway.

As stated in this Call for Artists, the art is envisioned as part of the protective fencing area. The Public Art Administrator cannot comment on how much of the fencing area or how much of the bridge might be comprised of art. That will be left to semifinalist artists to propose after the semifinalists have been asked to make a proposal. All elements of the art work, including but not limited to structural and lighting elements, must be paid for by the $200,000 budget. Other costs include, but are not limited to, administrative costs such as insurance, a KCMO business license, etc. See "Contractual Process" below for more information.

Evaluation Criteria

The selection of an artist, or artist team, shall be based on whose qualifications best meet the requirements contained in this Project Outline. In keeping with the standard One Percent for Art selection criteria, the Selection Panel will review and consider the following evaluation criteria:

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.

Selection Process
The Kansas City, Missouri Public Art Administrator will convene a selection panel to evaluate the submissions. Up to three semi-finalists will be selected and paid a $1,200 design fee to develop a proposal 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 artist, or artist team, 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 City Council.

Contractual Process
The selected artist or artist team will enter into a contract with the City of Kansas City, Missouri.

Typical contract requirements may include, but are not limited to:

• acquiring a City of Kansas City, Missouri business license
• registering as a vendor with the City of Kansas City, Missouri
• ensuring that municipal revenue tax to the City of Kansas City, Missouri is current
• developing a budget to include all aspects of design, fabrication, transportation, installation and lighting, and that may include costs such as:
  • permits
  • excavation, site remediation and landscaping
  • electrical work and fixtures such as lighting
  • approval by a licensed structural engineer
  • travel expenses
  • general liability insurance
  • commercial auto insurance
• contracts over $160,000 may be subject to City of Kansas City, Missouri DBE, MBE, WBE and SLBE guidelines

Requirements of the State of Missouri may include, but are not limited to:

• registering with the Missouri Secretary of State to conduct business in Missouri
• Worker’s Compensation and managing related documentation
• notarized affidavit of compliance with federal e-Verify requirements
• contracts over $75,000 must meet Missouri’s Prevailing Wage Law and require managing related documentation

Federal requirements may include, but are not limited to:

• W-9
• E-Verify

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.

Tentative Schedule

June 25, 2021: Call for Artists distributed
August 6, 2021: Call for Artists submission deadline
September 2021: Call for Artists semifinalists announced
September 30, 2021: 100% design completed
Mid-November 2021: Semifinalists present proposals. Bids accepted from general contractors.
Late November 2021: Call for Artists finalist announced
December 2021: artist contract awarded
End of February 2022: Construction begins
Early 2022: artist refines design, coordinates design with project team
2022: construction continues, artist fabricates work
2023: art installed
December 2023: bridge dedicated and opened

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria