Call to Artists: Park Lane Outdoor Sculpture Gallery

The Park Lane sub-committee, comprised of members of the Kirkland Cultural Arts Commission (KCAC) advised by City staff and other relevant stakeholders when appropriate, will make the selection for this call. The selection will be based on the evaluation of written submissions. The Park Lane Committee may also conduct an interview process; however, it reserves the right to select an artist based only on the evaluation of written submissions of work. All submissions and interviews will be evaluated based on the Scoring Rubric Criteria (below). The Park Lane Committee will present its recommendations to the full Kirkland Cultural Arts Committee for its approval, with the final approval provided by the Kirkland City Council. 

The Park Lane sub-committee reserves the right not to select any submissions received from this call for artists. Submitting artist(s) should be prepared and available to present their submissions virtually during an interview process if so selected. Submitted artists must be able to meet the project timeline. 

There are six plinth locations sited along Park Lane in Kirkland, between Lake Street South and 3rd Street. Each plinth can support a single artwork. Plinths have a mounting surface area of 18 inches x 20 inches. Proposed artwork should be compatible with these surface dimensions (PDF, 2MB)

Specific locations for specific artwork will be determined by members of the KCAC and City staff considering a number of factors. Please note that we cannot accept requests for specific plinth locations.

This call is for completed work. 

The following application materials are required

• Statement of interest (no longer than one page) describing why you should be considered for this opportunity, an explanation of your work's concept and how the concept, vision, and proposed work address this specific call.
• Two (2) to five (5) digital images of proposed work.
• Brief artist's biography, resume or curriculum vitae (CV). 

Accepted Mediums: 

Artists are welcome to submit examples of completed work that contemplate artwork in an array of sizes, types, and mediums. The medium(s) should be weatherproof and appropriate to outdoor display in the Pacific Northwest over a sustained period. The medium(s) should not pose any hazard to the public and be appropriate to securely display on the designated plinths along a very busy pedestrian and automotive thruway. Please only submit completed, existing sculptures. Artwork must not weigh more than 500 lbs. 

Accepted Artwork Dimensions: 

Plinths have a mounting surface area of 18 inches x 20 inches. Artwork should be compatible with these surface dimensions (PDF, 2MB).

Installation Instructions 

1. The CEMENT PLINTH has four permanent bolts that the metal plate mounts to and is attached to through the four holes in the center of the metal plate as shown in the photos below. This metal plate can be removed to make it easier for the artist to drill holes (more on the metal plate details below).  

Permanent bolts on cement plinth.  Metal plate showing the 4 holes city uses to bolt to the plinth 

2. The METAL PLATE is 18” x 20” and ½” thick. See image below.  

The four holes in the red square are the city holes that we use to attach the metal plate to the plinth. The artist’s sculpture base is attached to the city metal plate using holes drilled outside of this red square. Image below shows an example of holes drilled by a prior artist. New artists may use existing artist holes or may drill new holes to match up to holes drilled into their sculpture’s base.   

The sculpture base is secured to the metal plate using city provided 4 LockTite Tamper Proof nuts and bolts. Another option to attach the sculpture to the metal plate is for the artist to create a ’tab’ system that attaches to the sculpture. The other end of the tab will then need a hole to line up with the holes on the metal plate and the security bolt is then passed through the tab and into the metal plate and secured. City crew is onsite at time of installation to provide the security bolts/nuts and the socket tool to secure. At time of removal, the city will provide this socket to remove the nuts. The four security nuts/bolts are then returned to the city. 

Image below shows city provided security bolt through a sculpture base and then city metal plate, secured with nut using socket tool.

1. City staff will be on hand to provide security bolts and nuts and the socket to secure nuts onto the bolts. Staff also present to coordinate placement of art on plinths. 

2. Artists will be responsible for orientation of art on plinths. 

Please refer to Park Lane Plinth Attachment Details(PDF, 208KB) for information and specifications about the plinths and the mounting and display of artwork on the plinths. Artwork should be compatible with these surface dimensions (PDF, 2MB).

Artist Stipend
The Artist shall receive a total compensation of $3,000 for the display of their artwork. This amount will be equally divided and disbursed over two fiscal years (2025-2026). Artists whose work is selected for more than one plinth will be paid the stipend for each plinth that displays their work(s).

For the awarded artist(s) to contract with the City of Kirkland for display of their work, the following documents are required:

• IRS Form W-9.
• Certificate of Insurance for the duration of the project showing 1) Commercial General Liability for $1,000,000 each occurrence with the City named as an additional insured.
• If the artist(s) plans to drive their vehicle onto the work site (City property), the City will require proof of automobile liability insurance with minimum coverage of $1 million during the project.
• State of Washington Business License with City of Kirkland endorsement. 

*Selected artists are responsible for coordinating the installation and de-installation of their work (or works) with City staff. See an example of a SAMPLE Short-Term Display Agreement here(PDF, 116KB). The KCAC will provide signage following our signage template available to view here(PDF, 511KB)

For questions and  to request assistance to fulfill these requirements, please contact Abby Harrod at AHarrod@kirklandwa.gov , for all other questions related to the art call, please, contact Dr. Alisa Sargsyan, Chair of the KCAC at asargsyan@kirklandwa.gov.

The Kirkland Cultural Arts Commission (KCAC) uses a scoring rubric—based on City of Kirkland Public Art Policy Guidelines and funders’ intent—in its selection process.  The KCAC recommends selections to the Kirkland City Council for final approval based on the total points scored in these following categories:

1. Responsiveness to the Project Call: Theme and Other Project Specifics—50 points

How well does the submitted work respond to the specifics of the call, in terms of theme, location (if applicable), and medium (if applicable)?

Scale: not competitive (1-9); fair (10-19); good (20-29); great (30-39); excellent (40-45); exceptional (46-50).

2. Overall Alignment with City of Kirkland Public Art Policy Guidelines – 20 points

Does the submitted work reflect Kirkland’s Public Art Vision to maintain a diverse public art collection that values and honors artistic endeavor and the creative process, recognizes the role of public art in a welcoming and inclusive community, invites interaction, fosters civic identity and community pride, inspires a sense of discovery, stimulates cultural awareness, and encourages economic development?

Scale: not competitive (1-2); fair (3-6); good (7-10); great (11-15); excellent (15-19); exceptional (20).

3. Artistic Merit – 20 points

How well does the submitted work show artistic value, including formal qualities, technical ability, relevance to the current historical context, and the creative expression of content?

Scale: not competitive (1-2); fair (3-6); good (7-10); great (11-15); excellent (15-19); exceptional (20).

4. Artist’s Capabilities – 10 points

 Does the work submitted, including the artist’s statement and submitted work samples, demonstrate the artist’s ability to meet the project requirements and fully realize the project.

 Scale: not competitive (1); fair (2-3); good (4-5); great (6-7); excellent (8-9); exceptional (10).