SF Bay Area

Complete project details: https://www.bart.gov/about/planning/art-program/projects

This RFQ is open only to artists or artist teams residing in the five counties served by BART (Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara) at the time of application and for the duration of the implementation of the art elements of the project. All applicant artists must be U.S. citizens or have legal working status in the United States at the date of application.

Scope of Art Project

One artist or team will be commissioned to design an artwork to be translated into a mosaic/tile mural. The total wall area available is approximately 442 sq feet. It is not required that the final artwork cover the entire area. The intention is that the artwork will serve as a gateway to the station and enliven the neighborhood corner.

This is not a call for a painted mural, the artwork must be realized as a mosaic in either glass or ceramic or as a tile mural. 

Public Art Goals

• Celebrate the community (e.g., flora, fauna, activities, community), walking, biking and using transit.
• Provide a strong visual identity at the corner to welcome trail users to the BART station. 
• Attract BART riders by creating a more personalized and welcoming station environment.
• Engaging to a wide variety of trail-users, BART riders, and community members.

The selected artist will work with BART to identify and to implement appropriate community/stakeholder-engagement strategy as part of the initial design work. The artist will collaborate with BART to implement two community meetings (or a community meeting and in-station event) to support the artist’s understanding of the context for the artwork, and the community can gain a sense of the artist’s vision for the artwork.

Following community/stakeholder outreach, the artist will initiate conceptual design work. The concept will be reviewed by BART and the original artist selection committee to ensure the concept aligns to the stated project goals.

After concept approval, the artist will initiate further design and budgeting of fabrication utilizing BART Facility Standards and project specifications. Artist will adapt design as necessary to achieve project budget.

Upon completion and approval of final design, Artist will engage a fabricator for the mosaic/tile fabrication and delivery. BART will be responsible for procuring installation. The selected artist will work with BART to identify an appropriate fabricator based on the design of the artwork and the available budget. Alternatively, if the selected artist has experience with mosaic-making, it may be feasible for them to fabricate their own artwork. The fabrication method must be such that it can be installed by licensed contractors.

PROJECT BUDGET
The artist’s budget amount is $65,000 and includes all associated costs including, but not limited to artist design fee, research, fabrication, travel, insurance and overhead, contingency, transportation/shipping, installation oversight and documentation.

A separate set-aside budget for site work and installation—managed by BART under a separate contract—is $30,000. 

The selected artist will observe and comply with all applicable laws, ordinances, codes, and regulations of governmental agencies, including federal, state, municipal and local governing bodies having jurisdiction over any or all scope of artwork services.

Artist’s budget will cover:

Collaboration by artist with BART on community engagement, including two on-site or Berkeley-based meetings for community engagement, including all travel costs. Artist must have access to internet for web-based meetings using shared screen technology.
Design development – including presentation materials, consultants needed to scope the proposed artwork and deliver all necessary files, specifications, budgeting and determination of site preparation for the artwork.
Project management fees, insurance (please refer to boilerplate agreement for BART scope of insurance found at www.bart.gov/art), and overhead.
Fabrication by artist or fabrication by mosaic/tile fabricator 
Review samples and other production decisions with the fabricator.
Oversight consulting on Artwork installation (work by licensed contractor hired by BART if selected artist does not hold appropriate license). If Artist holds appropriate license, contract may be amended at BART’s discretion to include the installation scope.
All other associated costs for the scope of work at the artist’s discretion on behalf of the project.
 

QUALIFICATIONS & ELIGIBILITY
This RFQ is open only to artists or artist teams residing in the five counties served by BART (Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara) at the time of application and for the duration of the implementation of the art elements of the project. All applicant artists must be U.S. citizens or have legal working status in the United States at the date of application.

This project is open to artists who have demonstrated experience in the successful design and delivery of architecturally integrated artwork, preferably two-dimensional.

Selected artists must be available to work collaboratively with project teams that may included BART staff (architects, art program manager, planners, communications, and engineers as needed), City of Berkeley staff, and community representatives.

Applicants must demonstrate a history of professional activity as an artist and must demonstrate appropriate skills or experience in designing and managing an art project relative to the scale and complexity of the art project described above.

Artist Teams: Two or more people may apply together as a team however, a person with demonstrated history of professional activity as an artist must lead the team and meet the residency requirements. You may not submit to be a member of more than one team, and if you are applying with a team, you may not apply as an individual (and vice versa)   one person/one application.

Artists who currently have an active art commission with BART are not eligible for this project. If you have a current contract for artwork with BART and are unsure of the status of your project regarding your eligibility, please contact your project manager. Additionally, BART seeks to diversify the artists represented in the art collection, so if you have two or more artworks in the collection, we request you refrain from applying.

Qualifications used to evaluate the applications in the Artist Selection Process (Part VII of this RFQ) are as follows:

Minimum Qualifications

A minimum of five years of work as a practicing artist as evidenced by resume and professional recognition (awards, honors, exhibitions, commissions, etc.).
Demonstrated successful experience collaborating with commissioning agencies, clients, and/or design professionals as part of a team to deliver a comprehensive approach to integrating art and design.
Experience engaging communities to define objectives and inform scope of designs.
Experience delivering designs/artwork that successfully integrates into a project of similar scale to the North Berkeley Substation project.
Ability to comply with project deadlines.
Desired Qualifications

Past work that demonstrates the artist/team’s overall approach to making art and perceived ability to create artwork that would be relevant to the station, the adjacent community, and BART riders.
Successful completion of at least three permanent, site-specific projects similar in scope to the work being considered for North Berkeley BART Substation.
Aesthetic excellence in the design and execution of completed projects.
A minimum of 2 years of professional experience that illustrates the applicant’s ability to design and manage the project as required (i.e. past experience with public art projects, project management, public art administration, studio experience, related work skills or experience, etc). Desired skills may include budgeting, scheduling, communications with clients, and collaborating with third parties completing implementation, construction, or fabrication.
Past public art projects utilizing a variety of materials and methods with minimal long-term maintenance needs.

SCOPE OF SERVICES
The selected artist/s will enter into a Professional Services Agreement with BART with an anticipated duration from May 2026 to May 2027. The selected artist will be responsible for full coordination of the project, including administration, design, engineering, fabrication, and transportation, and installation oversight for a mosaic/tile artwork to be placed at the North Berkeley BART substation. The total project budget shall not exceed $95,000 inclusive of installation to be contracted by BART.