Wasena Bridge Neighborhood Sculpture

The City of Roanoke is seeking an artist or artist team to exhibit sculpture at a new plaza adjacent to the Wasena Bridge running from the opening of the new bridge in Summer 2026 through April 2029.  

The City is accepting submissions now through Monday, January 5, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern for freestanding sculpture that complements and celebrates the investment in the new Wasena Bridge and related traffic improvements.

This invitation is extended to all artists 18 and older or supervised student groups under an applicant instructor or institutional program. Innovative approaches are welcomed, including the establishment of partnerships between emerging and established artists or between artists and fabricators. Both proposed work and already completed pieces will be considered.  Roanoke-based artists, regional artists and teams with connections to Roanoke are strongly encouraged to apply, as are women and artists of color. 

The City of Roanoke is seeking at an artist or artist team to exhibit sculpture at a new plaza adjacent to the Wasena Bridge running from the opening of the new bridge in Summer 2026 through April 2029.  

The City is accepting submissions now through Monday, January 5, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern for freestanding sculpture that complements and celebrates the investment in the new Wasena Bridge and related traffic improvements.

This invitation is extended to all artists 18 and older or supervised student groups under an applicant instructor or institutional program. Innovative approaches are welcomed, including the establishment of partnerships between emerging and established artists or between artists and fabricators. Both proposed work and already completed pieces will be considered.  Roanoke-based artists, regional artists and teams with connections to Roanoke, especially to the Old Southwest and Wasena neighborhoods adjacent to the site are strongly encouraged to apply, as are women and artists of color. 

The work will be funded through the City of Roanoke’s Percent for Art fund.

Community Context

Established in 1884 in a valley of Virginia’s Blue Ridge, the city of Roanoke grew from the committed investment of local leaders—residents eager to create a thriving place at the crossing of two rail lines. Now, 140 years later, Roanoke continues stepping into the future with renewed commitment to its place and people. 

The “Magic City” of now just under 100,000 citizens stands at the center of a region of more than 300,000 people. The city continues to reassess, value and deploy the resources at hand. Old warehouses and garages from the 1900s now house local craft breweries and high-end lofts, offering residents and visitors easy access to outdoor recreation, a thriving arts and cultural community, and growing research opportunities along the Innovation Corridor. The community builds upon its assets, natural, built, institutional, and human. This process of visioning, reinvention, and creation closely correlate with and benefit from the creative processes of artists.

Simultaneously, the community is following a 20-year comprehensive plan that emphasizes equity throughout every aspect of investment and service delivery. As the nation considers how it works better for ALL of its citizens, the City of Roanoke is acting locally, making strides and committed to a welcoming, diverse, and equitable future.

Location and Program

As part of the replacement of the Wasena Bridge (also referred to as the Main Street Bridge) crossing the Norfolk Southern rail lines, the Roanoke River, Wasena Park, and the Roanoke River Greenway, the City of Roanoke acquired the former location of B & D Comic Shop at 802 Elm Avenue, SW, Roanoke, Virginia, 24016.

The site is being used to accommodate a new traffic circle and an adjacent sidewalk and planting area.  The planting area will feature an arc of trees and plants as background to a central pedestal for public art.

The pedestal will provide a public art space that can be programmed individually or as part of the City’s public art program, which includes both temporary and permanent art. The initial installation will be through a three-year lease. With input from the neighborhood and stakeholders after experiencing the temporary work for a year or more, a decision will be made to explore purchase of the work or inclusion of the site in the next call for temporary art serving the Elmwood Art Walk and a growing number of neighborhood pads.

Artists/artist teams should carefully read and review all such items and should address such items in its proposal. However, the final description of the services and/or items to be provided to the City is subject to negotiations with the successful Offeror(s), and final approval by the City.

In the spirit of bringing fresh perspectives on our collective journey and ongoing improvement of the city, the Roanoke Arts Commission invites submissions of 3-D work. Concepts and finished work must reflect the spirit of the community, the Old Southwest and Wasena neighborhoods, and the intention of bridging and convergence. Design elements may refer to the new bridge itself, and the aspirations of the community collaborating to achieve it’s planning, development, and construction. During the 2-year closure of the bridge, traffic patterns for many residents, workers, and visitors have been disrupted. An entire community patiently contributed to the achievement of the new bridge through reroutings and longer commute times.

Work can be new or proposed. New work is encouraged.

Materials used might reflect:

+ the spirit of a welcoming community continually reinvesting in itself while honoring and preserving its heritage
+ the strength of the city’s people and neighborhoods, specifically the adjacent Old Southwest and Wasena neighborhoods. 
- Learn about the Old Southwest neighborhood at oldsouthwest.org. 
- Learn about the Wasena neighborhood at wasena.org.
+ the strong relationships of the community with its natural, historic, cultural, built, and social assets.

The use of materials will reflect the strength, resilience, imagination, aspirations, and inclusive nature of the city and its creative cultural community. 

Work must be:

+ of a scale and material suitable for outdoor display, 
+ designed to withstand an outdoor, high traffic, unmonitored environment,
+ maintenance free or require little maintenance for the three-year duration,
+ complementary to the adjacent historic neighborhood
+ original,
+ suitable for family viewing, and
+ constructed so that it can be securely anchored.

The pad will be is 6’ by 6’ with 18” of depth and will hold up to 1,500 lbs. Work cannot be over 15’ tall or 6’ wide. Anchor bolts are required and must be set at least six inches from the edges of the pads. 

Development

The Roanoke Arts Commission will assist in establishing community connections for resident input and engagement if that is part of the artist/artist team's development process.

Payments and Awards

There is no entry fee. Artists chosen to participate will receive a stipend of up to $7,000 for the three-year lease.  

Installation

Costs associated with transportation of the piece, travel of the artist, insurance during travel and installation, installation, and removal of the work are the responsibility of the artist. 

+ The City will provide pads and installation support as feasible.
+ Completed installation must pass city inspection, meeting all safety requirements.
+ Artists whose projects are accepted will be required to sign a loan agreement.
+ Works will not be insured by the City, but may be self-insured by the artist.

Each artist may submit a total of up to three (3) proposed sculptures or concepts for consideration. 

To apply, please submit to the call as posted on the Roanoke Arts Commission website at www.roanokearts.org/bridge. The direct link to the call on the CAFÉ website is

Proposals must include:

+ A brief Artist(s) Statement (300 words max) to introduce the selection panel to your artistic practice 

+ A project statement (500 words max) that describes the response for this project, demonstrates an understanding of the community, communicates the design/development process, and explains how the work relates to the community, the Old Southwest and Wasena neighborhoods, the park and greenway below, the surrounding natural elements, and/or the bridge and improvements themselves.

+ Images of sculpture or concept

+ Images of past related work

+ An illustration of how the piece will be anchored to the pad.

+ An anticipated project budget, including travel, materials, etc. Note: the maximum payment is $7,000.

+ Contact information for two professional references for which the Offeror has done design or art work in the last five years.

For technical questions about CaFÉ, please click on Help on the CaFÉ website.

CALENDAR

Application is required by Monday, January 5, 2026 at 11:59 PM. Application will be through CaFÉ.

The chosen artist or teams will be selected and notified by Monday, January 30, 2026

Installation is to occur between May 1 and June 30, 2026. This date is subject to change due to construction schedules, but will not be earlier.

The work is to be picked up in April 2029 unless the City and Artist extend the lease or negotiate a purchase in advance.

This invitation is extended to all artists 18 and older or supervised student groups under an applicant instructor or institutional program. Innovative approaches are welcomed, including the establishment of partnerships between emerging and established artists or between artists and fabricators. Both proposed work and already completed pieces will be considered.  Roanoke-based artists, regional artists and teams with connections to Roanoke, especially to the Old Southwest and Wasena neighborhoods adjacent to the site are strongly encouraged to apply, as are women and artists of color. 

A selection committee will score each proposal in accordance with the provisions demonstrated herein and the City reserves the right to issue multiple awards for such goods/services.