Call for Artist – Art Roster at the Kent Multicultural Village
Introduction:
The Kent Multicultural Village is a mixed-use transit-oriented development at the Kent Des Moines light rail station. This project was designed to be inclusive, specifically to center the needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) as well as to create a welcoming home for people of diverse ethnic backgrounds. The project was envisioned by Ginger Kwan of Open Doors for Multicultural Families (ODMF) and is being developed by Mercy Housing Northwest. The building will include 233 units of affordable housing, office and program spaces for ODMF, an inclusive early learning center, and commercial space for Project Feast.
The building is currently under construction and is located at 23510 Pacific Hwy S. in Kent, WA. Construction is anticipated to be completed by August 2028.
The Ownership group includes Mercy Housing NW and Open Doors for Multicultural Families, with Lotus Development Partners as consultant to the owners. The Architect for the project is Schemata Workshop and the General Contractor is Walsh Construction. Members of these organizations will be the Artist Selection and Review Committee.
A Roster of eligible artists will be created and used to solicit proposals for the various artwork opportunities as funds become available. In most cases, the artist will be asked to produce 2D designs that will be coordinated by the Architect and installed by the General Contractor. It is possible that the artist can propose to produce/install the art piece if they have prior experience. Each artist will be paid a stipend commensurate to the artwork and their experience.
There will be a variety of scales of artwork needed for the project. They will have different schedules - some might start as early as December 2026, but many could occur over the next 12 months; and some may occur after the building is completed.
Eligibility
This opportunity is open to all artists, residing in Washington State with preference given to individuals who have an Intellectual or Developmental Disability (IDD) and/or identify as Black, Indigenous or a Person of Color. First time public artists are highly encouraged to apply.
Selection Process
The Artist Selection and Review Committee will compile a Roster of up to 10 artists interested in producing artwork at the Multicultural Village in Kent and deemed qualified based on their work and eligibility (see below). Artists selected for the roster will be considered for various opportunities as they arise. The Artist Selection and Review Committee will identify artist(s) on the roster for each opportunity and they will be asked to produce a 2D artwork for review and approval. Selection for the roster does NOT guarantee selection for a commission.
Submission Materials and Process
Interested artists should submit the items below:
Work samples – minimum 5 pieces completed in the past five years - portfolio or website. Include information about the work: dimensions, medium, date completed. Any attachments must not exceed 20MB in total. i.e., If there are 4 attachments, they should be approximately 5MB each.
Artist Statement of why you want to create a artwork at the Multicultural Village.
Statement of personal identity (BIPOC, person with IDD) – can be just a few sentences.
Completed form – see attached
To submit, artist must an email of interest. Email should be sent to info@schemataworkshop.com. Subject line should indicate: MCV Arts Roster – Intent to Submit
Instructions for uploading submission will be sent back as the emails are received. It is the artist responsibility to check the instructions and links upon receipt to ensure there are no issues at time of upload.
Questions should be emailed to info@schemataworkshop.com Responses to all questions can be found here as they arise.