Artists are invited to submit their qualifications to design, fabricate and install benches for the Rosa Parks (Imperial/Wilmington) Metro Rail Station. The benches will provide seating for passengers who are transitioning between Metro Rail and Metro Bus connections. Up to three artists/artist teams will be selected to submit proposals.

GOALS
The goals for this project are to create a work of art which:

• is of high artistic quality
supports the neighborhood's cultural identity
• provides adequate comfortable seating for Metro Rail and Metro Bus customers
• responds well to the site, and humanizes the transit environment
• is well-built, safe, vandal resistant and will require minimum maintenance

SITE
The Rosa Parks (Imperial/Wilmington) Station is one of the busiest in the 50 station Metro Rail system with over 25,000 passengers using the station on an average weekday. The above-ground station is located at the intersection the (street level) Metro Blue Line and the (elevated) Metro Green Line in South Central Los Angeles; neighboring sites include a shopping plaza, the Imperial Courts Housing Community, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital and the MTA's Rail Operations Control and LA County Sheriff's substation; Watts' Towers are located less than a mile away. The specific site for the project is the large street level plaza area of the station where a great number of passengers wait for bus connections. Because the area is partially exposed to the environment and heavily used, durability of materials will be important.

Hide-n-Seek, a public art project by the artist JoeSam., is installed near the project site at this station. This work consists of large colorful cut out metal figures installed high up on the station's supporting columns.

BUDGET
The selected artist/artist team will receive a contract for up to $45,000 for the design, fabrication and installation of the work. A separate budget will be available for reimbursable travel costs for artists outside the LA County area.

SELECTION PROCESS
Metro Art selects all artists through a peer review process. The panel for this project will consist of three arts professionals (including an artist) and two community members. The panel will select up to three finalists to develop proposals for the site. To prepare their proposals each finalist will be given $500, information on the neighborhood, community, users, etc., and travel expenses. The artists will present their proposals to the selection panel who will then select one artist/artist team to be commissioned for the project.

SELECTION CRITERIA
The panel will review all artist qualifications using the following selection criteria:

• record of artistic achievement as evidenced by slides, resume, and professional recognition;
• demonstrated ability to complete quality public art projects on time and within budget.

The selected finalists' proposals will later be evaluated based on:
• artistic quality;
• responsiveness to the site and adjacent neighborhood;
• f unctionality and durability of artist's design;
• proven ability to address projects of comparable scope and context, ability to complete projects within budget, and reference recommendations.

ELIGIBILITY
All professional US resident artists are eligible with the exception of artists who were commissioned for a Metro Rail station after January 1995.

WHAT TO SUBMIT
Letter of Interest (seven copies)
One page, typed letter describing artist's/artist team's qualifications and past experience relevant to the project and indicating an understanding and availability to meet the timeline for this project.
Resume (seven copies)
Current resume.
Slides (up to twenty slides of recent work)
Please indicate which six slides should be viewed by the selection committee on the first round. Number each slide and indicate the top of the image. Mark each slide with artist's or team's name and the title of the work or project. Glass mounted slides will not be accepted.
Annotated Slide List for Additional Slides (very important)
A typed sheet listing each slide in sequence and indicating title, medium, dimensions and location. For previous public art projects please list: project location, commissioning body, budget, date of completion, subcontractors and/or fabricators, and project manager (with telephone number) with whom you worked.
SASE
A self addressed stamped envelope for the return of your materials.

MAIL MATERIALS TO:
Rosa Parks Station Seating RFQ
MTA Metro Art
One Gateway Plaza, 99-19-9
Los Angeles, CA 90012-2952

Questions? Call 213.922.4ART