Wichita Fire Department Station #23 Request for Qualifications

TESSERE, on behalf of our Client, the City of Wichita, Kansas, a Municipal Corporation, invites professional artists and artist teams with a demonstrated history of completing complex, permanent, outdoor public art projects to submit their qualifications for a $174,000 public art commission for City of Wichita Fire Department - Station 23 Art Component, to be located at the northwest intersection of S. Maize Road and W. Pawnee Street in Wichita, Kansas. Construction is scheduled to begin the first quarter of 2026.

INTRODUCTION

TESSERE, on behalf of our Client, the City of Wichita, Kansas, a Municipal Corporation, invites professional artists and artist teams with a demonstrated history of completing complex, permanent, outdoor public art projects to submit their qualifications for a $174,000 public art commission for City of Wichita Fire Department - Station 23 Art Component, to be located at the northwest intersection of S. Maize Road and W. Pawnee Street in Wichita, Kansas. Construction is scheduled to begin the first quarter of 2026.

PERCENT FOR ART AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN

This Project is funded through the Percent for Art Ordinance and the City of Wichita’s Capital Improvement Plan. In 2019, the Wichita City Council approved an ordinance that allotted 2 percent of capital improvement funds to a pool of funding allocated for the commissioning of on-site artworks that then become part of the citywide art collection. The administration of the Percent for Art Program is overseen by the Design Council, an 11-member advisory board.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Southwest Wichita is growing rapidly, and Wichita Fire Department Station 23 is a new station to better serve the growing area and reduce response travel distance. The new public art components of this Project should reflect the natural influence of nearby Pawnee Prairie Park and Prairie Sunset Trail which has over 400 acres of natural park land, a butterfly garden, playground, and trails serving hikers, bicyclists, and equestrians. Native Kansas wildlife such as deer, rabbit, and turkey is often seen in the park. Art component options include freestanding sculpture, screen wall with sculptural relief or mural, and/or building identification.

ART GOALS OR CRITERIA

·   The artist or artist team must be able to work alongside a team of design consultants during construction and installation of artwork.

·   Art component(s) shall reflect nature.

·   Materials shall be durable with low or no maintenance and integrate or complement the building exterior.

·   Sculpture size shall be maximum 9'-0" wide by 16'-0" high by 9'-0" depth and located a minimum 10'-0" off the building.

·   Screen wall shall be minimum 6'-0" wide and maximum 8'-0" high. Perforations in the wall shall be no more than 4" in one direction but unlimited in the other direction.

·   Building identification shall include Fire Department Station Number 23 and be scaled appropriately on the building as to avoid interference with doors, windows, and roof.

SITE OF ART LOCATION

The new Wichita Fire Department Station 23 will be located at the northwest intersection of S. Maize Road and W. Pawnee Street in Wichita, Kansas. The area is mostly residential with an early childhood learning center on neighboring property to the east. A half mile to the east is Pawnee Prairie Park with access to Prairie Sunset Trail.

ART LOCATION DESCRIPTION

The location of the artwork shall be as indicated on the Site Plan and Exterior Elevations.

BUDGET

The artwork commission will be $174,000, inclusive of all costs and fees, for the artist to execute the Project from interview and design through structural engineering, fabrication, site preparation, transportation/delivery to the site, and installation. Travel expenses shall also be included. Installation schedule shall be coordinated with TESSERE.

SELECTION PROCESS

Round 1: Request for Qualifications. Applicants will be reviewed and ranked by a selection committee comprised of City staff, TESSERE, and relevant stakeholders.

Round 2:

1.  Up to five finalists will be selected, and each will be contacted with more information for an interview, where an in-person or virtual presentation for the artwork will be shared with the selection committee.

2.  Finalists will develop site-specific proposals that include scaled demonstrations of the artwork. Models, sketches, diagrams, and digital or other mediums must be used to represent feasible presentations to the selection committee. The finalist proposal shall be a digital presentation of developed concepts, including rendering, narrative descriptions, budget, and timeline. A One Thousand Dollar ($1,000) stipend will be provided to each finalist.

3.  The selection committee will deliberate on the presentations. One artist or artist team will be selected to join the Project Team and execute a professional agreement accordingly.

The finalists will be announced by November 19, 2025.

PROJECT TIMELINE

All dates are approximate and subject to change.

RFQ Open via CaFE̒ Online Application System (https://www.callforentry.org/): October 16, 2025

Artists Questions Due: November 10, 2025, 5:00 p.m. CDT

Qualifications Due: November 13, 2025, 5:00 p.m. CDT

Review of Qualifications: November 17, 2025

Notification of Finalists: November 19, 2025

Finalists’ Design Proposals Due: January 7, 2026

Finalists’ Presentations: January 12, 2026

Final Artist(s) Selection: January 14, 2026

Contract: January 21, 2026

Design/Fabrication: February 2026 through November 2026 with Design Review Milestones at 30 percent, 50 percent, and 90 percent 

Installation: December 1 through 14, 2026

Completion: December 18, 2026

SELECTION CRITERIA

Applicants Will be Shortlisted Based on a Competitive Review of the Following:

Artistic Excellence: Demonstrated vision, professional process and presentation, and quality craftsmanship in examples of past work. Examples provided should be relevant to how the artist will approach this public art opportunity.

Relevant Prior Experience: The artist has created projects of a similar scale and budget and has demonstrated experience in public art management and executing large-scale outdoor artwork, coordinating with multiple stakeholders, engineering and fabricating teams, delivering contractual milestones, and managing large budgets in a timely fashion. 

Creative Process: Examples of past work should illustrate how the artist has used committee input in their design process. Examples should be relevant to how the artist will approach this public art opportunity. 

Meaningful relationship of the creative and conceptual aspects of their artistic process with the purpose of this Project as expressed in the Letter of Interest (LOI).

Each artist or artist team must submit an entirely digital application.

1. Six to ten total images of relevant past large-scale public art projects by the artist or artist team’s lead artist(s).

2. Annotated Image List: An annotated image list that includes the title, media, year completed, dimensions, location, project budget, timeline, and client or commissioning entity for each corresponding image.

a.  The annotated image list may include thumbnails of submitted images but does not replace the need to upload individual image files in fulfillment of Number 1. above.

b. Image annotations may include very brief descriptions of how the image illustrates one or more of the selection criteria.

3. A one-page Letter of Interest (LOI) stating why the Wichita Fire Department Station 23 opportunity is meaningful and appropriate for the applicant’s work, as well as a potential concept for this Project.

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

a.  If applying as an artist team, provide a resume or CV for each team member and a list of key team members and their roles/affiliations in one PDF.

5. Three professional references, up to one page.

 Incomplete applications will not be considered.

QUESTIONS

All inquiries should be e-mailed to Christy Wendler at christy.wendler@tessere.com no later than November 10, 2025, 5:00 p.m. CDT.

ARTIST ELIGIBILITY

TESSERE welcomes submissions from artists and artist teams based in the United States of America, with a preference for Kansas-based artists.

The Project Encourages Participation from Artists With:

• A demonstrated history of completing complex, permanent, outdoor public art projects of comparable budget, scale, and scope (and/or the ability to conceptualize, communicate, and support the delivery of a public artwork);
• A strong understanding of public art considerations including materials, fabrication, installation, maintenance, and public safety;
• A demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with communities, stakeholders, and project teams; and
• A commitment to creating engaging, inclusive, and accessible artwork.

The City of Wichita has a vibrant art community and many local vendors and contractors who can assist with the development, fabrication, and installation of the art. The committee prefers to have local artists or firms involved in the Project and will give preference to artists who plan to utilize these local resources.

This Could Include:

·       Engineering consultants for developing stamped drawings

·       Concrete firms for pouring the footers

·       Fabricators

·       Installation crew

·       Lighting specialist

 The artist or artist team will be expected to attend progress and planning meetings for the duration of the design phase after receiving Notice to Proceed.

 It is the declared policy and practice of the City of Wichita to extend equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, marital status, age, political affiliation, sexual orientation, disability, or other non-merit factors.