CALL FOR ART: Artists sought for Metro’s South Annex Base in Tukwila

King County Metro is inviting Artists to contribute to public art installations at its new South Annex Base (SAB) in Tukwila as part of its transition to a zero-emissions bus fleet.

4Culture and Metro have a long history of working together on public art projects. For SAB, both agencies collaborated with lead artists Haddad|Drugan (Laura Haddad and Tom Drugan) to develop three distinct art opportunities—all of which focus on developing artworks that represent and inspire both the surrounding community and the staff who will work at the base.

“We envision artworks integrated into a variety of sites, some more iconic from distant views and others more nuanced and experiential,” Haddad and Drugan have said. “We are excited about the potential for art to weave together stories about innovative sustainable practices, including electrification of the buses and restoration of Riverton Creek, to create a strong sense of place while also inspiring awareness about how the energy of transit can empower us.”

Metro is seeking artists for three projects:

• Surface Treatments: This first opportunity is for two individual artists based in King County. Each artist will be asked to develop a distinct but complementary site-specific surface treatment design for one of two interior walls at SAB. This is a unique opportunity for emerging or mid-career artists who want to gain experience in the field of public art, bridging the gap between studio and public practice by translating their two-dimensional work into permanent media on a large scale. Learn more >>
• Lobby Feature Wall: For this opportunity, we are seeking an individual artist or team of artists from Washington or Oregon to create an original surface treatment or low-relief artwork for the prominent feature wall in the lobby of the SAB administrative building. Learn more >>
• Community Tables: Individual artists/designers or collaborative teams of artists and designers residing anywhere in the United States are invited to apply to develop a collection of functional tables that comfortably accommodate conversation and various collective activities at SAB. Learn more >>

This call for art represents a unique opportunity for emerging and mid-career artists to transition their studio work into the public sphere, contributing to a highly visible and environmentally conscious space.

Applications for all three projects are due by Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, at 4 p.m. PDT.