Vista Median Public Art – REQUEST FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
Posted on 6/6/18 by Arts History
Project Description:
Boise City invites selected three finalists to submit a proposal to design and fabricate sculptural public artwork(s) for the median(s) on a significant gateway street, Vista Avenue. The artists will remain anonymous throughout the selection phase. Each artist was paid a $1,000 proposal stipend to cover all proposal costs. The selected artist(s) will be provided a combined project total of $147,000 to formalize the design, fabricate, coordinate the transportation of the work to the site and all other project costs. The City of Boise will hire a separate, Public Works licensed contractor to finalize the design, fabricate and install the footing/anchor and manage the traffic control and installation of the artwork.
Background:
Vista Avenue runs from I-84 to Capitol Blvd and directly through the heart of the Vista Neighborhood. Vista Avenue is designated as a Community Gateway by Blueprint Boise, Boise’s Comprehensive Plan. The Avenue serves as a major gateway for many people; from the daily commuter to travelers from the Boise Airport. This structure will serve as an introduction, or welcoming entryway, to the Treasure Valley and even the State of Idaho.
For the past two years, the Vista Neighborhood has been the focus of a collaborative program called Energize Our Neighborhoods. The program augments innovative, community-based solutions and aligns resources to increase the livability of Boise’s neighborhoods. The program began in 2014, when the City of Boise undertook an ambitious GIS mapping project, with the goal of measuring key data indicators to develop a better understanding of the health and livability of the community. Those indicators were mapped in layers, allowing strategic, focused alignment of resources, from both the City and community partners, to be directed to the neighborhoods with the greatest opportunity for benefit. [For more information about the Energize program see website http://energize.cityofboise.org/]
One key finding of initial community engagement in the Vista Neighborhood identified challenges associated with Vista Avenue itself, a five-lane corridor that bifurcates the neighborhood. Due to the high volumes of traffic and limited cultural opportunities, the area along Vista Avenue lacks a sense of place, and has lost its historic neighborhood character. This becomes apparent as travelers make their way from the airport to downtown, where, although they are first greeted by the scenic views of the foothills, a welcoming sense of place is noticeably lacking.
Public art has the power to change the perception along Vista Avenue. Cultural facilities and public art in the area have been rated as the top concern identified through the GIS mapping project and the Creative Vitality Index from the Western States Arts Federation. Improvements to art and placemaking along Vista Ave. were also identified as key opportunities through the study conducted by ULI as part of the Building Healthy Corridors Project, in which Vista Ave. was identified as one of four nation-wide demonstration corridors. This project is funded equally by a Community Development Block Grant and a Together Treasure Valley grant to celebrate the vitality of the Treasure Valley.
To view each proposal, please select and open the links below:
Proposal #1:
RFP18-094 Proposal #1 Part One
RFP18-094 Proposal #1 Part Two
Proposal #2:
RFP 18-094 Proposal #2 Part One
RFP 18-094 Proposal #2 Part Two
Proposal #3:
RFP 18-094 Proposal #3 Part One
RFP 18-094 Proposal #3 Part Two
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