Public Art Project Offers Rewarding Opportunity

Imagine seeing your original artistic design decorating a public place in a high-traffic area in Tacoma.

You could experience that thrill if the Tacoma Arts Commission selects your submission of artwork to be etched  into the glass panels of two passenger shelters on a new Tacoma Link Light Rail platform, due for construction this spring.

"Every time we add an artist's vision to a project it deepens the opportunity to create a sense of place," City of Tacoma Arts Administrator Amy McBride said during a telephone conversation.

The call to artists invites anyone from Pierce County who is 18 or older and not a full-time student, to submit a two-dimensional design suitable for an  etching.  The contest ends March 18 with the finalists selected the week of March 20. Interviews with finalists, and the choice of the winning artist, will take place the following week of March 28.

The Tacoma Link Light Rail line runs all the way through Tacoma's downtown, from the Dome  District to the Theater District. Located on Commerce Street, between 11th and 12 Streets, the new station's close proximity to Pacific Plaza, Tacoma School of the Arts, and the Pierce Transit hub will position this artwork for maximized exposure to viewers. 

In a press release, McBride described the competition as "a fantastic opportunity for a local artist to create something in the public realm."

Those interested in submitting ideas can visit the Tacoma Culture website for all the details.  You can also contact McBride at (253) 591-5192 for answers to questions or send an e-mail to amcbride@cityoftacoma.org.