The City of Kirkland and the Kirkland Cultural Arts Commission (KCAC) are looking for artists to create public art to be on display at a variety of locations in the city.

The city is seeking qualified artists or artist teams to create concepts for artwork using salvaged pieces of the Kalakala Ferry, which once operated on the Puget Sound, and to present the concepts to the public with visuals including drawing, videos or 3-D machettes.

An icon of the mid-20th century, the Kalakala Ferry was built in 1935 at the Lake Washington Shipyards, now Carillon Point. From the outset, the Kalakala was recognized for many notable characteristics including its art deco design, streamlined structure and the first commercial radar system. The Kalakala was featured prominently in the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair before being removed from commercial service in 1967.

In early 2015, the city purchased several pieces of the Kalakala Ferry and has allocated funds for the development of art concepts for the public to review. To help with the artist search and art concept review process, the Kalakala Committee was created with members from the KCAC, Park Board, Transportation Commission, interested citizens and Kalakala advocates.

“We’re excited about the historical significance of this new piece of public art,” Ellen Miller-Wolfe, Kirkland’s economic development manager, said in a release. “Significant parts of the ferry, including the wheelhouse, ornamental railing, several portholes and large car doors, are just some of the raw materials that can be incorporated into an art concept.”

The submitted concepts will be reviewed by the public and other stakeholders through a public outreach process. With input from the public and other stakeholders, the Kalakala Committee and KCAC will make a recommendation to the Kirkland City Council.

Up to four artists will be selected to develop concepts, and each artist will have a budget of $2,500. The deadline to apply is 4 p.m. July 14.

Public art in parks

The city is also seeking a qualified artist to create art for three Kirkland parks in conjunction with scheduled or completed park capital improvements. The Art Committee, consisting of representatives from the Park Board and Cultural Arts Commission, has determined that due to the limited art budget for each park, one artist shall be hired to design, fabricate and install art.

The budget is $45,000, and the deadline to apply is 4 p.m. July 17.

For more information about both projects, visit www.kirklandwa.gov and find the “Doing Business with the City” page in the “Business” section of the site.

This is taken from a news release.