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Michigan Avenue: US127 Bridge Beautification Project

Michigan Avenue – US127 Bridge Beautification Project

  

Following the group visioning session on Feb. 7, artists interested in the project will be asked to provide a proposal based on an RFP to be supplied in the weeks leading up to event. The bones of that RFP are laid out below:

  

Project Goal – Turn a bland, gray bridge associated with poor community perceptions and bring it alive through beautiful lighting and art. 

  

Artistic Theme – Cultural connection between Lansing and East Lansing. Consideration should also be given to the Michigan Avenue corridor itself, area historical roots, multi-modal transportation and community vibrancy. 

  

Project Financing – This project will be funded through a 30-day crowdfunding campaign via Patronicity. We have significant interest from private sector stakeholders who have already been engaged with the project and are confident that support from those stakeholders along with crowdfunding participants and the wider community, we will  meet our project goal. Once the goal is reached, The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) will provide matching funds, so we are essentially raising 50% of project costs through crowdfunding. Given this format, there is flexibility in the project budget. We expect project costs associated with the art piece of the project to range from $10,000 to $30,000.

 

Project Requirements – This project will require a lead artist to organize and orchestrate the art portion of this project under the guidance and facilitation of the Arts Council of Greater Lansing, Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) and the Michigan Avenue Corridor Improvement Authority.

 

Supporting artists may also be needed to work with the lead artist on a specific element of the project, but the main focus of the RFP is selection of a lead artist. The lead will then coordinate efforts to find supporting artists as appropriate for their initial vision, again with the support of the aforementioned organizations. 

  

Vision – What would you do, where would you do it and how would the end product look? Artists will be expected to visually demonstrate their ideas in some form; an electronic version will be front and center as part of our crowdfunding campaign.

  

Artist teaming strategy – How will you assemble a team to make your vision come alive? 

Community engagement strategy – How would you engage local neighborhood groups and the public at large to provide input on a developing vision? 

Budget – How much will all of this cost? 

 

We plan to go through a selection process involving the boards of the Michigan Avenue Corridor Improvement Authorities of the City of Lansing, Lansing Township, and City of East Lansing and providing consideration by LEAP and Arts Council of Greater Lansing staff. 

  

We would likely look to receive proposals by March 1, 2015 and make a selection by mid-March.