BART North Berkeley Mosaic/Tile Mural Request for Qualifications (RFQ) - North Berkeley Substation

please note: we are now adding tile as an option for implementing this project (4/28)

San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) invites qualified artists residing in one of the five Bay Area counties served by BART (Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara) to submit qualifications for the design, fabrication (by artist or other) and installation oversight of a mosaic to be installed on the substation at the North Berkeley Station located at a very active bike/ped access point on the Ohlone Greenway. 

Public Art Goals

• Celebrate the community (e.g., flora, fauna, activities), walking, biking and using transit.
• Provide a strong visual identity at the corner to welcome trail users to the BART station.
• Attract BART riders by creating a more personalized and welcoming station environment.
• Engaging to a wide variety of trail-users, BART riders, and community members.

Visit https://www.bart.gov/about/planning/art-program/projects for PDF of full RFQ and Sample Agreement.

please note: we are now adding tile as an option for implementing this project (4/28/2026 )

Visit https://www.bart.gov/about/planning/art-program/projects for PDF of full RFQ including site images, and Model Agreement.

North Berkeley BART Station located at: 1750 Sacramento Street, Berkeley, CA 94702. Substation at the northwest corner of the station property at the corner of Acton and Virginia Streets.

I. INTRODUCTION 

Please read the entire RFQ to familiarize yourself with the opportunity. This RFQ will result in the selection of an artist/artist team (hereinafter “artist”) for the North Berkeley BART Substation mosaic/tile project. Please refer to Rules and Terms: BART’s Right to Implement for more information.

II.  ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

 a.    This RFQ is open only to artists who meet the minimum eligibility requirements. Teams must have an artist complying with the residency requirement. All applicants must be U.S. citizens or have legal working status in the United States as of the date of application.

b.    Applications will be accepted directly from artists whose work is being submitted in response to this RFQ only. Applications submitted by third parties, such as galleries, art consultants or representatives, etc. will not be considered.

Berkeley artists that meet the eligibility requirements set forth above and following are strongly encouraged to apply.

III.  BACKGROUND & PROJECT SCOPE

A.    BART Art Program

BART opened for service in 1972. Since then, the system has expanded to 50 stations in five counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara). In 2015, the BART Board adopted its first Art Policy (https://bit.ly/3a2MzIm).

B.     Base Project Description

https://www.bart.gov/about/planning/station-access/north-berkeley-bike

The Ohlone Greenway is a regionally significant trail spanning over five miles of shared-use path in four jurisdictions (Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito and Richmond) in two counties (Alameda and Contra Costa). Two segments of the path in North Berkeley are adjacent to BART-owned property currently used as parking lots, which are planned to be converted to housing (Transit Oriented Development - TOD) soon.

This current project is part of the implementation of bicycle and pedestrian access improvements at North Berkeley Station. Project goals are as follows: 

• To advance the 2016 Station Access Policy (PDF) goals (safer, healthier, greener). For more information on the Policy, please visit this page.
• To reduce congestion in the Ohlone Greenway
• To improve pedestrian and bicycle safety and security around the station.
• To minimize cost and maximize benefit relate to the upcoming TOD

The station is surrounded predominantly by single family residences. The station is one of the original stations in the BART District and opened in early 1973. There are plans for a phased TOD with approximately 740 units to be built on BART surface parking lots: https://www.bart.gov/about/business/tod/north-berkeley. The auxiliary parking lots southeast of Acton Street with roughly 80 spaces will not be developed.

The artwork will be located at the northwest corner of the property on the BART substation. This building will remain throughout the construction of the future housing. Artwork Location: https://tinyurl.com/yjwpkwzr

Wall dimensions available for mural application (appx):

Acton Façade: 15.5’ (h) x 14’ (l)

Virginia Façade: 15.5’ (h) x 14.5 (l)

C.     Scope of Art Project

One artist or team will be commissioned to design an artwork to be translated into a mosaic or tile. The total wall area available is approximately 442 sq feet. It is not required that the final artwork cover the entire area. The intention is that the artwork will serve as a gateway to the station and enliven the neighborhood corner.

This is not a call for a painted mural, the artwork must be realized as a mosaic in either glass or ceramic, or tile.

Public Art Goals

• Celebrate the community (e.g., flora, fauna, activities, cultures), walking, biking and using transit.
• Provide a strong visual identity at the corner to welcome trail users to the BART station.
• Attract BART riders by creating a more personalized and welcoming station environment.
• Engaging to a wide variety of trail-users, BART riders, and community members.

The selected artist will work with BART to identify and to implement appropriate community/stakeholder-engagement strategy as part of the initial design work. The artist will collaborate with BART to implement two community meetings (or a community meeting and in-station event) to support the artist’s understanding of the context for the artwork, and the community can gain a sense of the artist’s vision for the artwork.

Following community/stakeholder outreach, the artist will initiate conceptual design work. The concept will be reviewed by BART and the original artist selection committee to ensure the concept aligns to the stated project goals.

After concept approval, the artist will initiate further design and budgeting of fabrication utilizing BART Facility Standards and project specifications. Artist will adapt design as necessary to achieve project budget.

Upon completion and approval of final design, Artist will engage a fabricator for the mosaic/tile fabrication and delivery. BART will be responsible for procuring installation. The selected artist will work with BART to identify an appropriate fabricator based on the design of the artwork and the available budget. Alternatively, if the selected artist has experience with mosaic-making, it may be feasible for them to fabricate their own artwork. The fabrication method must be such that it can be installed by licensed contractors.

IV.  PROJECT BUDGET

The artist’s budget amount is $65,000 and includes all associated costs including, but not limited to artist design fee, research, fabrication, travel, insurance and overhead, contingency, transportation/shipping, installation oversight and documentation.

A separate set-aside budget for site work and installation—managed by BART under a separate contract—is $30,000. 

The selected artist will observe and comply with all applicable laws, ordinances, codes, and regulations of governmental agencies, including federal, state, municipal and local governing bodies having jurisdiction over any or all scope of artwork services.

Artist’s budget will cover:

a.    Collaboration by artist with BART on community engagement, including two on-site or Berkeley-based meetings for community engagement, including all travel costs. Artist must have access to internet for web-based meetings using shared screen technology.

b.    Design development - including presentation materials, consultants needed to scope the proposed artwork and deliver all necessary files, specifications, budgeting and determination of site preparation for the artwork.

c.    Project management fees, insurance (please refer to boilerplate agreement for BART scope of insurance found at www.bart.gov/art), and overhead.

d.    Fabrication by artist or fabrication by mosaic/tile fabricator

e.    Review samples and other production decisions with the fabricator.

f.     Oversight consulting on Artwork installation (work by licensed contractor hired by BART if selected artist does not hold appropriate license). If Artist holds appropriate license, contract may be amended at BART’s discretion to include the installation scope.

g.    All other associated costs for the scope of work at the artist’s discretion on behalf of the project.

V.    ARTIST SELECTION PROCESS

Applications are available through www.Callforentry.org  if you are a first-time user, please allow adequate time to learn the use of this system. We recommend that artists complete their applications at least 24 hours prior to the deadline stated. Applications are due 11:59 Pacific Daylight Time.

a.     Applications will be pre-screened by BART staff to ensure that applicants meet the Minimum Qualifications described under "Eligibility Criteria", and that the applications are complete as described under "Application Criteria."

b.     If more than 75 applications are received, a subset of the selection panel comprised of an arts professional, a project stakeholder, and a BART representative, will review the applications and will create a short list of a maximum of 30 artists whose work will be reviewed by the full selection panel. The pre-screening panel will evaluate and short- list each applicant’s work based on whether they meet the Desired Qualifications described in Section V of this RFQ.

c.     A Selection Panel comprised of arts professionals, community members, design team members, and BART staff will be established to review the applications and will rank them according to the selection criteria outlined above.

d.     At the discretion of the Selection Panel, up to three finalists may be selected to be interviewed to determine the final artist/ team for the project. It will be the sole discretion of the panel to determine if the artist selection will include an interview of finalist candidates. If interviews are implemented for the project, artists to be interviewed will be given a minimum of two weeks’ notice prior to the interviews.

e.    All Finalists will present to the Selection Panel via the Zoom meeting platform, therefore all applicants should have access to a computer with the capacity to run Zoom.

f.    The date and time of the interviews will be at the sole discretion of BART, and an interview is not guaranteed if a mutually accessible time is not available for all finalists and the selection panel.

VI.             PROJECT ESTIMATED SCHEDULE

Or as amended by BART. Selected artist will be consulted on any accelerations to the schedule and any delays will be accommodated as feasible by BART.

VII. CONTACT INFORMATION

Questions about the RFQ or commissioning process must be sent to Jennifer Easton at: JEaston@bart.gov not later than 5:00 p.m. PDT on 5/13/2026. Please use “North Berkeley RFQ Inquiry” in the subject heading of your email.

Responses to all inquiries and any addenda will be posted via CAFE to artists who have initiated or submitted applications prior to the due date. Questions & answers will also be posted at  https://www.bart.gov/about/planning/art-program/projects.

ALL REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION MUST BE VIA EMAIL AS INDICATED ABOVE. BART WILL NOT ACCEPT PHONE INQUIRIES

Submissions (described below) must be received as a complete application in CAFE no later than 11:59 P.M. (PDT) on 5/17/2026. DO NOT SUBMIT APPLICATIONS DIRECTLY TO BART.

All materials will be submitted online via the www.callforentry.org. 

REQUIRED APPLICATION MATERIALS

The application submission must include the information and materials described below, all of which are required to constitute a complete application. Specific proposals for artwork are not requested and will not be reviewed. 

a.  Images of Past Work: Visual representations of past artwork that demonstrate your qualifications for this project. Submit up to 8 images of completed projects. Images of designs for previously proposed projects that were not developed to completion may be submitted, however they should be clearly marked as proposals and cannot be more than 3 of the maximum 8 images. Please avoid multiple views of a project within a single image. Teams are also limited to 8 images. If the team has produced work together previously, please include representations of that work. If the team has not collaborated previously, appropriate images of work from all team members as appropriate should be included.

b.   Annotated image list: a list of the submitted images with descriptions that clearly explain both the projects and images. Include pertinent information regarding key collaborations with design team and/or stakeholders. Include dimensions, medium, location, commissioning agency and budgets (when information is allowed to be released). Please indicate your role in the project e.g., lead artists or co-artist, studio team member, fabricator, etc.

c.   Artist Statement of Interest (250-500 words): Please outline your interest in this opportunity in part by answering the following questions:

1.  What perspective, strengths and experience do you bring to a project?

2.  What is your experience in collaborating with design professionals and communities? Give one or more examples of your collaboration with both and the resulting outcome.

3.  What specifically interests you about the North Berkeley BART Substation project

d. Resume (500-word maximum individual/500 additional words for teams): Submission shall include a current resume that outlines your professional accomplishments as an artist, particularly as relates to integrating art to infrastructure. 

e. List of 3 professional references. References will only be contacted for the artist proposed as a finalist for the project by the selection panel, or in the event of interviews (as described in Section VII-d) the three finalists. 

If applying as a team, indicate the name and contact information of the team’s representative. Please place this as the first name in the application.

BART reserves the right to reject any or all applications or proposals and to modify or terminate the application process or the selection process for any reason and without prior notice.

This RFQ is open only to artists or artist teams residing in the five counties served by BART (Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara) at the time of application and for the duration of the implementation of the art elements of the project. All applicant artists must be U.S. citizens or have legal working status in the United States at the date of application.

Applicants must have all necessary documentation and permits to work in the United States at the time of submittal of qualifications.

This project is open to artists who have demonstrated experience in the successful design and delivery of architecturally integrated artwork, preferably two-dimensional.

Selected artists must be available to work collaboratively with project teams that may included BART staff (architects, art program manager, planners, communications, and engineers as needed), City of Berkeley staff, and community representatives.

Applicants must demonstrate a history of professional activity as an artist and must demonstrate appropriate skills or experience in designing and managing an art project relative to the scale and complexity of the art project described above.

Artist Teams: Two or more people may apply together as a team however, a person with demonstrated history of professional activity as an artist must lead the team and meet the residency requirements. You may not submit to be a member of more than one team, and if you are applying with a team, you may not apply as an individual (and vice versa) – one person/one application.

Artists who currently have an active art commission with BART are not eligible for this project. If you have a current contract for artwork with BART and are unsure of the status of your project regarding your eligibility, please contact your project manager. Additionally, BART seeks to diversify the artists represented in the art collection, so if you have two or more artworks in the collection, we request you refrain from applying.

Qualifications used to evaluate the applications in the Artist Selection Process are as follows:

Minimum Qualifications

• A minimum of five years of work as a practicing artist as evidenced by resume and professional recognition (awards, honors, exhibitions, commissions, etc.).
• Demonstrated successful experience collaborating with commissioning agencies, clients, and/or design professionals as part of a team to deliver a comprehensive approach to integrating art and design.
• Experience engaging communities to define objectives and inform scope of designs.
• Experience delivering designs/artwork that successfully integrates into a project of similar scale to the North Berkeley Substation project.
• Ability to comply with project deadlines.

Desired Qualifications

• Past work that demonstrates the artist/team’s overall approach to making art and perceived ability to create artwork that would be relevant to the station, the adjacent community, and BART riders.
• Successful completion of at least three permanent, site-specific projects similar in scope to the work being considered for North Berkeley BART Substation.
• Aesthetic excellence in the design and execution of completed projects.
• A minimum of 2 years of professional experience that illustrates the applicant’s ability to design and manage the project as required (i.e. past experience with public art projects, project management, public art administration, studio experience, related work skills or experience, etc). Desired skills may include budgeting, scheduling, communications with clients, and collaborating with third parties completing implementation, construction, or fabrication.
• Past public art projects utilizing a variety of materials and methods with minimal long-term maintenance needs.