Artist sought for Spokane Street Viaduct expansion

View of the Spokane Street Viaduct at the intersection of First Avenue and Spokane Street.

The Office, in partnership with the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), seeks an artist or artist team to develop permanent artwork in conjunction with the widening of the South Spokane Street Viaduct in Seattle's SoDo (South Downtown) neighborhood. The 60-year-old elevated roadway serves as a key transportation link between West Seattle, Port of Seattle terminal facilities and the SoDo district and provides access to State Route 99 and Interstate 5.

The selected artist will develop a creative response to the expansive viaduct and its industrial setting. Possible locations for artwork include the underside of the viaduct's elevated roadway, its forest of support columns, the spaces surrounding new traffic ramps, the lower Spokane Street roadway and its new sidewalk and/or other areas adjacent to the viaduct. Safety issues prevent placing artwork on the elevated roadway.

The call is open to established professional artists living in the United States. The project budget is $60,000 for design and travel. It is anticipated that $340,000 will be available for fabrication and installation, for a total project budget of $400,000. The application deadline is 11 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 17. A link to the online application is available here.