Logan Square Blue Line Station Public Art RFQ

INTRODUCTION 

The 35th Ward Aldermanic Office, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), and the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) invite professional artists and artist teams with a demonstrated history of completing complex, permanent, large-scale, outdoor public art projects to submit their qualifications for a $180,000 exterior public art commission at the Logan Square Blue Line Station, located at 2620 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Logan Square within the recently constructed La Placita. 
 

PERCENT FOR ART & CAPITAL PLAN

This project is funded by the Percent for Art Ordinance and the City of Chicago’s Capital Plan. In 1978, Chicago’s City Council unanimously approved an ordinance that requires 1.33 percent of municipal construction or renovation costs to be allocated to the commissioning or purchase of on-site artworks. DCASE through the Public Art Program administers the Chicago Public Art Collection and implements the City’s Percent for Art Ordinance. The Collection provides the citizens of Chicago with an improved public environment and enhances city buildings and spaces with quality works of art by professional artists. The Chicago Public Art Collection includes more than 500 works of art exhibited in over 150 municipal facilities around the city, such as police stations, libraries, and CTA stations.

SUMMARY OF THE OPPORTUNITY

The 35th Ward Aldermanic Office, DCASE, and CDOT is seeking a professional artist to create a large-scale, permanent public art installation at the Logan Square CTA Blue Line Station Headhouse, located within the recently built Latinx themed plaza, La Placita. Qualified artists with a demonstrated history of completing similar projects in Chicago are invited to submit their qualifications. The selected artwork will be installed within a designated area within the public plaza, adhering to a 5 ft x 5 ft x 15 ft above-ground envelope, and weight restrictions between 5,000 lbs and 8,000 lbs. The chosen design must be fabricated from durable, impact-proof materials that complement the station's aesthetics, surrounding plaza, and the Logan Square neighborhood.  

Artists are encouraged to incorporate lighting into their proposals, for viewing from multiple distances. The final artwork should reflect the community identity of Logan Square, complement the design of the new station and La Placita, as well as engage viewing from the surrounding city streets. A robust community engagement process will inform the design, ensuring it is sensitive to the diverse residents and the mission of the CTA. The artwork must be engineered for minimal maintenance and withstand environmental demands; only durable and resilient media will be considered.  

The stated envelope ensures ADA accessible paths, setbacks from furnishings, and sightlines within this public plaza.  High pedestrian traffic is expected adjacent to the artwork within La Placita, particularly bus stop operating hours.  

Artists are encouraged to review publicly available media reports on the Logan Square CTA Blue Line Station Headhouse and La Placita found on the City of Chicago and Ward 35 websites as well as social media outlets.

DESIGN PARAMETERS

The artwork envelope will fit inside the 5' x 5' x 15' envelope above ground.

The minimum weight of the artwork is assumed to be 5,000 lb, and the maximum weight is 8,000 lb.

A wind load of 26 psf on the artwork is considered, which resulted in a 2.1 kip maximum shear and a 20.8 kip-ft maximum moment for the design of the anchorage and foundation.

A 0.55 kip maximum seismic shear force and a 5.5 kip-ft maximum moment are considered for seismic design.

Anchorage design: For the above loads and anchor spacing, 1" diameter Hilti V-36 (ASTM F1554 GR 36) rods are assumed to be installed in Hilti HIT-RE 500 V3 adhesive (or approved equal), requiring a minimum embedment of 9" (or approved equal).

Foundation design: Based on geotechnical recommendations of 1 ksf net bearing pressure, 1" total settlement, and ½" differential settlement.

Recommended art materials: Steel and impact-resistant media are recommended as this location is a high-traffic pedestrian plaza.

Two ¾" diameter conduits will be stubbed to the base of the art sculpture to allow for any lighting elements.

Installation should obscure the exposed concrete foundation from view.

SITE:  

The Logan Square CTA Blue Line Station Headhouse is located on 2620 N. Milwaukee Ave. within La Placita, and serves the Logan Square neighborhood. This station replaced an older elevated station during the extension of the CTA Blue Line to O’Hare airport in 1971. The station has two mezzanines, one at Kedzie Avenue and the other at Spaulding Avenue. The Kedzie Avenue mezzanine has farecard vending machines and two entrances, while the Spaulding Avenue mezzanine is usually unstaffed. The platform is longer than the length of a train, with trains stopping at the southeast end. The station's layout is similar to the Belmont station, but Logan Square has a mezzanine at each end of the platform and an elevator at the Kedzie entrance.

The station headhouse, located at the intersection of Milwaukee and Kedzie, and surrounding streets are undergoing significant renovation as part of the ongoing Milwaukee Avenue Streetscape Improvement Project. Kedzie Avenue has been realigned to direct all vehicular around the station to address existing congestion and to allow for the creation of the new La Placita plaza. This plaza covers where Kedzie Avenue is currently located, with Kedzie Avenue itself being rerouted along the north side of the station headhouse.  La Placita features paving patterns and design elements to refer to multiple Latinx immigrant communities known for settling in the Logan Square area in recent generations.  Patterning throughout the plaza evoke the textile weaving traditions by indigenous peoples throughout North and South America.  The paving pattern surrounding the artwork specifically refers to the Lenca people, near present day Honduras.

This area experiences high volumes of pedestrian, bicycle, and automobile traffic. Its proximity to popular community events like the Logan Square Arts Festival and the Logan Square Farmers Market makes it a highly visible location. This presents an excellent opportunity to renovate the station and incorporate public art into the design.  The new La Placita integrates a shared-use path for bicyclists to travel off the street, public bike parking, and Divvy bikeshare docks.

The renovated station canopy extends coverage toward all three vehicle routes that border the headhouse: Kedzie Avenue, Milwaukee Avenue, and a limited use lane for CTA buses and delivery vehicles.  The new station canopy design offers coverage for transfer between bus stops and the CTA train station entries.  The station headhouse offers access to the mezzanine below via a single ADA accessible elevator and staircase.  An escalator ascends passengers from the mezzanine level to La Placita.  

The station canopy columns and downspouts are painted white.  The pedestrian space and canopy columns are protected from public vehicle use via 36” tall crash rated columns which are covered with stainless steel sleeves.  Lighting integrated within the canopy soffit meets ADA requirements for pedestrians in the plaza and adjacent bus stops.  Backlit signage is mounted to the canopy soffit at over 12’ above plaza level, facing the artwork.  

A planter adjacent to the artwork features one (1) Japanese Tree Lilac tree, clear of branches 6” above plaza level. Shrubs in the planter are expected to grow to 36” height maximum.  Concrete benches near the artwork are anticipated to be enhanced with mosaic tile work in the future, by others.

Plaza drawings can be found on this link: https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/dca/Public%20Art/rfq/bluelinepublicart_drawingappendix.pdf

COMMUNITY  

Logan Square, located northwest of Chicago's Loop, is a vibrant and diverse community known for its rich history, stunning architecture, and thriving cultural scene. The Logan Square neighborhood was predominantly agricultural and prairie land prior to the formation of the Chicago Boulevard system which motivated residential growth in the late nineteenth century. Residential development accelerated after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, as it offered affordable housing outside the fire's reach. Waves of immigrants, including Germans, Scandinavians, Poles, and Russians, shaped the neighborhood's character. Milwaukee Avenue served as a vital carriage route for agricultural goods and passengers between Chicago’s downtown and settlements to the northwest of the city.  By the late 20th century, Logan Square had become a predominantly Latinx immigrant community with influence that continues today. The neighborhood is a visual delight, boasting elegant Greystone buildings, spacious bungalows, and the picturesque Logan Square Boulevards District, a designated historic landmark. Logan Square is a melting pot of cultures, with a vibrant mix of long-time residents and young professionals. This diversity is reflected in the neighborhood's dynamic culinary scene, with trendy restaurants, lively bars, and eclectic shops lining Milwaukee Avenue, the area's main commercial artery.

While Logan Square has experienced a renaissance in recent years, it also grapples with the challenges of gentrification. Rising property values and displacement of long-time residents are concerns. However, the community remains committed to preserving its diversity and cultural heritage. Logan Square is well-connected to the rest of the city, served by the Western, California, and Logan Square Blue Line stops. Overall, Logan Square is a dynamic and evolving neighborhood that embodies the spirit of Chicago.

SCHEDULE

*All dates are approximate

BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS

$1,000 – Finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium to develop project proposals  

$180,000 – Commission to artist, inclusive of artist fee and all expenses for artwork, including but not limited to: design, materials, supplies, equipment, fabrication, structural engineering, electrical engineering, approval transportation, installation, and insurance. 

WHAT TO SUBMIT  

Each artist, artist team, or arts organization must submit an entirely digital application on CAFE.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. *  

Applications should include:   

Letter of Interest: A one- (1) page letter of interest stating why the specific site is meaningful and appropriate for the applicant’s work, as well as initial conceptual ideas.   

CV: A two- (2) page resume or curriculum vitae (CV).  

If applying as an artist team or arts organization, provide one resume or CV for each team member.  

If applying as an artist team or arts organization, a list of key team members and their roles/affiliations.  

Annotated Image List of Work Samples: An annotated image list that includes the title, media, year completed, dimensions, location (if site-specific), project budget (if applicable), type of lighting, timeline, client or commissioning entity for each corresponding image or video, and if the artist led community workshops that help inform the design.  

If a video is submitted, please include two to three (2-3) sentences to describe its context. Please note, the annotated image list may include thumbnails of submitted images but does not replace the need to upload individual image files in fulfillment of a) above.  

Past Work Samples: Six (6) to ten (10) total images of past large-scale public art and infrastructure projects by the artist or the artist team’s lead artist(s). If artists have experience in illuminated public artworks, please include in your examples.  

Optional: One (1) video, edited to no more than two (2) minutes in length, may also be submitted but is not required. 

Interested applicants should register with CaFÉ to view the application. Deadline for submissions is September 9, 2025, 11:59 PM CDT.  

For technical assistance using CaFÉ, please visit:  

https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/  

Technical Support Session: August 27, 2025, Wednesday, 5pm-6pm   

Register in advance for this meeting:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/vF36wfUHRFOssg-V1-_G-g

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.  

WHAT TO SUBMIT  

Each artist, artist team, or arts organization must submit an entirely digital application on CAFE.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. *  Applications should include:   

Letter of Interest: A one- (1) page letter of interest stating why the specific site is meaningful and appropriate for the applicant’s work, as well as initial conceptual ideas.   

CV: A two- (2) page resume or curriculum vitae (CV).  

If applying as an artist team or arts organization, provide one resume or CV for each team member.  

If applying as an artist team or arts organization, a list of key team members and their roles/affiliations.  

Annotated Image List of Work Samples: An annotated image list that includes the title, media, year completed, dimensions, location (if site-specific), project budget (if applicable), type of lighting, timeline, client or commissioning entity for each corresponding image or video, and if the artist led community workshops that help inform the design.  

If a video is submitted, please include two to three (2-3) sentences to describe its context. Please note, the annotated image list may include thumbnails of submitted images but does not replace the need to upload individual image files in fulfillment of a) above.  

Past Work Samples: Six (6) to ten (10) total images of past large-scale public art and infrastructure projects by the artist or the artist team’s lead artist(s). If artists have experience in illuminated public artworks, please include in your examples.  

Optional: One (1) video, edited to no more than two (2) minutes in length, may also be submitted but is not required.  

ELIGIBILITY 

This opportunity is open nationally to all professional artists and artist teams, though the project advisory panel may have a preference for locally-based artists and artist teams. 

SELECTION PROCESS 

Following the RFQ application deadline, DCASE will convene a selection panel of community representatives, arts professionals, 35th Ward Staff, and CDOT to review the applications. The committee will select 3 finalists, who will be commissioned to develop public art proposals.  

Finalists will present their design proposals to the selection committee and a final artist or artist team will be selected.  

SELECTION CRITERIA  

Applicants will be shortlisted based on a competitive review of the following:  

Artistic excellence: demonstrated skill and quality craftsmanship in examples of past work; strength and originality of concept conveyed in the letter of interest.  

Meaningful intent for the project scope; or connection to place (site for artwork, neighborhood, community).