Public Art - Madison LakeWay SkyLine

The City of Madison Planning Division has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQU) seeking qualified artists, artist teams, and artist-led companies to design and execute site-specific public artwork for the Madison LakeWay SkyLine Project, a 1.7-mile shoreline development along Lake Monona's waterfront. The procurement encompasses multiple artworks of varying scales and media, including sculptures, integrated landscape art, interactive installations, and light or sound-based works that engage with environmental, cultural, and historical themes related to Lake Monona, with the initial phase focusing on the Community Causeway area featuring bicycle and pedestrian trails, fishing piers, boardwalks, and viewing areas. Applicants must submit qualifications by April 16, 2026, at 2:00 PM Central Time through an Airtable form. The selection process occurs in two phases: Phase I evaluates qualifications to select three to five finalists by May 14, 2026, and Phase II requires finalists to develop detailed design proposals with mandatory virtual presentations and in-person site visits, with design proposals due September 14, 2026, and final winner selection by December 11, 2026. The City will provide design honorariums of $2,000 to each finalist ($1,000 upon selection and $1,000 upon design proposal completion), and one to three selected artists may receive up to $20,000 for engineering and permitting costs. Eligible applicants must be professional artists, artist-led teams, architects, or landscape architects who have demonstrated experience completing major outdoor public artwork and have not previously been selected for a City of Madison Percent for Art Project. Individual project budgets range from $100,000 to $750,000 and must cover all costs associated with design, fabrication, installation, engineering, permits, insurance, travel, materials, and contingencies, with design development and engineering review scheduled through winter 2026-2027 and fabrication and installation dates to be determined following Common Council approval.

Eligible applicants include professional artists, artist-led teams, architects, and landscape architects registered with the City of Madison in Dane County, with local vendor preferences available to those meeting registration requirements. Contractors with 15 or more employees must comply with affirmative action requirements and maintain commercial general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence. The project is funded through a combination of City of Madison Percent for Art funds generated from the John Nolen Drive reconstruction project and private funding raised by Madison LakeWay Partners, though at this procurement stage, fabrication funding has not yet been secured and project selection will support ongoing fundraising efforts. There are no identified incumbent vendors, current contractors, or existing infrastructure integration requirements specified in this solicitation. The anticipated award values for individual projects range from $100,000 to $750,000, with the City committing design honorariums and potential engineering cost reimbursement totaling up to $20,000 per selected finalist during the design development phase.