AVL FORWARD: New Terminal Large-scale Art Installation Opportunity – REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority (GARAA) invites artists and/or artist-led teams to submit qualifications for the newly designed Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) terminal as part of the Airport Terminal Modernization Program—AVL Forward.

The Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority (GARAA) invites artists and/or artist-led teams to submit qualifications for the newly designed Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) terminal as part of the Airport Terminal Modernization Program—AVL Forward. Local WNC artists will be given preference and are encouraged to apply.

The Asheville Regional Airport is growing to meet the current and future needs of the western North Carolina community. This project to construct a new airport terminal is slated to be completed by 2028.

The GARAA seeks to commission works of art that advance the guiding design principle of the new terminal, which is to represent “a modern gateway, humbly rooted in natural beauty,” and to select qualified artist(s) who can innovatively and thoughtfully design within the context of the project.

Specifically, GARAA is excited to include up to two permanent sculptural art pieces as part of the new terminal. These sculptures will be representative of the beauty and culture of the western North Carolina mountain region. The sculptures will be installed in two key locations in the new terminal:  (1) in the grand hall/main entrance area of the terminal, suspended from the ceiling or floor mounted, seen by all who enter or leave the airport; and (2) in the central concessions plaza on the air side of the terminal (suspended from the ceiling is the most likely scenario in this location).  See virtual renderings:

Location (1) Grand Hall/Main Entrance > LINK

Location (2) Central Concessions Area > LINK

The purpose of this RFQ is to gauge qualifications of interested artists or artist-led teams. 

Artists or artist-led teams submitting qualifications must indicate if they wish to be considered for all established art locations in the new terminal.  

This is a call for qualifications ONLY – the first step in the artist selection process. Please see RFQ Submission Requirements for specific details.

Following is helpful information about the project and selection process:

PROJECT TIMELINE

Issue RFQ – April 1, 2026

Submission Deadline – June 22, 2026

Finalist Selection and Notification – July 15, 2026

Artist Concept Design/Final Proposals Due (Finalists only) – October 14, 2026

Selection committee recommendation to GARAA Board – February 12, 2027

Contracting Process Completion – February 26, 2027

Installation and Project Completion – August-September 2027

Dates are subject to change except for the RFQ submission deadline of 6/22/26.

DETAILS AND SPACE DIMENSIONS:

LOCATION 1:  Grand Hall/Main Entrance Structural information:

1.       Landside Central (between grid lines B.3 and J):

a.       Suspended loads must be attached to the roof trusses on gridlines 43.7 (ROOF TRUSS T1) and 46 (ROOF TRUSS T2), the joist girder on grid line 48 and the wide flanged sections on grid line 52.

b.       Suspended loads must be attached to the roof trusses and the joist girder at bottom chord panel points (panel points are approximately 6’-0” o.c.) and must be spaced a minimum of 6’-0” o.c. along the bottom flange of the wide-flanged sections.

c.       Each truss, the joist girder and wide flanged sections have been designed for a maximum 2000 pound suspended load that must be distributed between (4) connection points so that each connection does not exceed 500 pounds.

d.       The connections can be applied anywhere along the span of the member.

LOCATION 2:  Central Concessions Structural information:

2.       Airside Central (between grid lines Q.1 and X):

a.       Suspended loads must be attached to the roof trusses on grid line 43.7 (ROOF TRUSS T3), grid lines 46 and 48 (ROOF TRUSS T4), and grid line 52 (ROOF TRUSS T5).

b.       Suspended loads must be attached to the roof truss at bottom chord panel points (panel points are approximately 7’-6” o.c.)

c.       Each truss has been designed for a maximum 2000 pound suspended load that must be distributed between (4) connection points so that each connection at a bottom chord panel point does not exceed 500 pounds.

d.       The connections can be applied anywhere along the span of the truss.

 

If artwork is intended to be supported by floor framing, the weight of the artwork must not be greater than a uniformly distributed load of 100 pounds per square foot of occupied area.

Any artwork suspended from the roof structure will require our review. For review, we will need drawings from the artwork manufacturer that locate connection points, provide connection details and note load magnitudes at each connection point.

ARTWORK GOALS

An artist selection committee, convened by the GARAA, seeks individual artists or artist-led teams that can produce site-specific, large-scale commercial space sculptures or other styles of art pieces that first and foremost uphold the key design principles for the new airport terminal, designed to be a “modern gateway, humbly rooted in timeless natural beauty.” 

Specific requirements for commissioned pieces, which will help guide final choices:

• The art will embrace inspiration from the natural beauty and culture of western North Carolina, and help create an authentic, welcoming environment that roots the airport with a sense of place in the region;
• The sculptures/art pieces will be appropriate for large-scale commercial spaces (appropriateness to site, durability);
• The proposed sculptures will be of the highest quality—creatively and compositionally;
• Art will not be politically or socially charged;
• Art will meet all public safety, structural, and maintenance standards (easily cleaned and maintained) and comply with the Americans for Disabilities Act (ADA), and all other applicable laws, codes and regulations.

It should also be noted that there is no requirement for a specific style of art.  Varied aesthetics and styles are welcome, including abstract or representational.  Lighting and connectivity is possible in both locations.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Respondent shall be in good standing regarding prior agreements or indebtedness with GARAA. Any existing post-due debt or any failure to fulfill the provisions of any previous Agreement with GARAA may be cause for rejection of the Proposal and disqualification of the Respondent.

SELECTION CRITERIA & PROCESS

RFQ Review:  A committee selected by GARAA will review all properly submitted RFQ applications and will select up to five finalists to submit artwork proposals for review. Finalists will enter into a Design Agreement with GARAA outlining criteria for proposal and additional information for planning and development. Artists selected to submit proposals will be awarded a $5,000 honorarium for their work, once proposals are received.

Final Awards:  Once design proposals are reviewed, the art committee will recommend the final choice of artists or artist-led teams for each commissioned sculpture/art piece to the GARAA board for final approval. (It is possible that the same artist or artist-led team may be chosen for both locations.  It is also possible that criteria may not be met as determined by the GARAA selection committee, and no artists will be selected in this process).   

The final selection of the artist(s) or artist-led team(s) will be based on the following criteria:

• Artistic excellence, innovation and originality as evidenced by visual documentation and supporting materials;
• The overall “fit” with the project’s goals;
• Artist’s ability to meet deadlines and budget and to perform work in a timely, professional manner;
• That the artist’s professional experience is adequate to meet the demands of the project, including the ability to work with stakeholders, architects, engineers and project managers;
• That the work will meet all operational, maintenance, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and public safety requirements.
• That the work is compliant with location limits/restrictions and does not require substantial building modifications to accommodate.
• That the proposed cost/budget is deemed appropriate and feasible.

RFQ SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Artists may apply individually or as a team. Artists interested in this project must prepare and submit all of the following information and documentation via this CaFE RFQ no later than 11:59 p.m. EST 6/22/26. There is no application fee to apply using the online application system. No other method of submission will be accepted. Incomplete applications will not be considered. The applicant’s name must appear on all materials submitted. Please include all information, for each section in a single PDF, to be uploaded individually. Do not exceed maximum page count specified below. The submissions will be accessed and opened for review on 06/23/26.
 

The PDF documents, not to exceed page requirements as indicated below (excluding uploads of images requested), will include:

• SECTION ONE - Letter of Interest: A letter not to exceed 500 words outlining your interest in this project and qualifications or experience working on comparable projects of similar scope and scale. Letter must include address, email, phone number and website of artist.  It must also include a statement regarding which (one or both) of the sculpture locations the artist or team wishes to pursue.
   
• SECTION TWO (maximum of two pages) - Outline your guiding philosophy and process of creating commissioned work to meet:

o   Specific design goals

o   Project timeline goals

o   Ability to work within established building limits/restrictions/specifications

o   Budget goals

 Examples of success in meeting goals should be provided.

• SECTION THREE (up to six pages) - Current CV or Resume: A resume not to exceed two pages per team member (1,000 words), including artist training and professional experience. If submitting as a team, submit a resume for each team member.
   
• SECTION FOUR (maximum of one page) - Professional References: A list of at least three professional references with contact information (name, title, organization, mailing address, phone number, and email address), and the name and location of the artwork in which you worked with the administrator. References should not exceed one page.
   
• UPLOADED ATTACHMENTS - Images of Recent Work (uploads not included in sections 1-4): Complete all fields in the document upload section and upload a minimum of 5 and maximum of 10 jpeg images of installed past work of similar scope, scale, and budget. Ten images per application, not per team member.

More Information:

Any materials not specifically requested as part of this application or exceeding the maximum page length or format requirements will not be considered or reviewed by the selection committee. Applicants may not receive notification if their application has been disqualified.

Incomplete submissions or any application that has not been submitted within the parameters set forth above, as determined by the GARAA will not be reviewed or considered.

Questions:

All questions regarding this RFQ are to be directed only to the GARAA via the website listed below. All questions and responses will be posted on this site for all applicants and potential applicants to review. Applicants may be disqualified if any unsolicited contact related to this RFQ is made with a member of GARAA, the GARAA board, the GARAA selection committee, or any other agency or person associated with GARAA. All communication will occur electronically via the contact portal provided on the website (below). No phone calls please. Please review the website below prior to emailing any questions as the website will be updated on a regular basis with any questions and answers. Questions will be answered in the order in which they are received. Questions received after 4pm EST on 5/29/26 may go unanswered, so it is suggested all interested artists begin the submission process as soon as possible.

WEBSITE:  www.flyavl.com/AVLForwardart 

NEXT STEPS – FINALISTS IN RFQ PROCESS

ARTIST AGREEMENTS AND DESIGN PROPOSALS

The selected finalists will enter into a short-term two-party contractual agreement between GARAA and the artist/team for design proposal development, to include the $5,000 honorarium, payable upon completion of the final design proposals.

The artist agreement will outline all additional information needed for planning and development purposes, including specific design proposal requirements, details about the selected install sites, engineering requirements, maquette parameters, site visit, and process and deadline for submission of proposals.

The design proposals will be required to convey artists’ ideas and plans through maquettes (smaller scale replicas of final piece), renderings and a statement that describes, in detail, the project's name, inspiration and intent to meet criteria, fabrication and installation methods, project schedule and an itemized budget.

Finalists must submit final proposals as directed in the agreement by the deadline provided. Finalists will be notified of the GARAA committee’s selection and recommendation to the board for final approval by a predetermined timeline, published at www.flyavl.com/AVLForwardart.

Once the final artists’ or artist-led teams’ proposals are chosen by the selection committee, the artists and GARRA will enter into second two-party contractual agreements for fulfillment of the commissioned pieces, to include payment details and timeline.

ELIGIBILITY

This RFQ is open to all professional artists and/or artist-led teams based in the United States regardless of race, color, creed, gender/gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, religion, marital status, political opinion or affiliation, or mental or physical disability. Local WNC artists will be given preference and are encouraged to apply.