4Culture wants to know: is your art good enough to be experienced by commuters throughout South King County?

In collaboration with King County Metro Transit, 4Culture, the “cultural funding agency for King County,” is looking for an artist or art team to develop public art for the new RapidRide I Line transit corridor that will connect Auburn, Kent and Renton. The deadline is 4 p.m. July 13.

“This public art call is about elevating local histories and cultures by telling a story that unfolds over space and time,” said Christina DePaolo, communications director for 4Culture.

Called “Small But Mighty,” 4Culture seeks to develop a series of small sculptures and retaining wall treatments for the corridor. The budget for the project is $100,000 for the design and $425,000 for implementation, totaling $525,000.

Regarding eligibility, the project is open “to professional artists, working independently or as a team with a solid history of collaboration, that reside in the United States.”

If chosen, the artist or art team must follow King County Public Health and national COVID-19 protocols, and some travel to King County is expected throughout the project timeline.

According to the 4Culture website, the selection process after the July 13 application deadline will continue into August, with applicants being notified on Aug. 15.

Applications must be made through 4Culture’s online system and must include a profile with contact information, a 500-word-or-less statement of interest, a two-page professional résumé that is up to date and 10 work samples. Of the 10 samples, up to two can include audio or video files that must not exceed a cumulative run-time of three minutes.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, King County experienced a budget gap that has pushed the planned dates for the RapidRide I Line to launch in 2026. The public art project is expected to run from September 2022 until September 2026.

For more information and detailed requirements for the application, visit 4culture.org/grants/rapidride-expansion-small-but-mighty/ or contact Jordan Howland at jordan.howland@4culture.org.

The series of art will be for the new RapidRide I Line corridor, which will connect Auburn, Kent and Renton. Image courtesy of 4Culture.