Request for Qualifications: 13th Street Underpass Public Art Commission, City of Lethbridge

Call for Artists – 13th Street Underpass Public Art Commission (Lethbridge, AB)

Submission Deadline: April 28, 2026, at 2:00pm (local time)

The City of Lethbridge Public Art Program, in partnership with the City’s Urban Revitalization and Transportation & Transit departments, invites Canadian professional visual artists and artist teams to submit qualifications for a permanent public artwork at the 13th Street underpass.

This two-stage competition will commission an artist to design, fabricate, and install a multi-element artwork in the median beneath Highway 3 on 13th Street—one of the primary north–south connectors in Lethbridge and a key gateway into the north side of the city. The project seeks to introduce visual interest and vibrancy to an infrastructure site that is currently perceived as primarily utilitarian.

Site Context and Design Parameters

The artwork will be situated within the raised median of the underpass and must incorporate some or all of four existing low-profile concrete planter frames.

The site is an active roadway environment where drivers are frequently slowing, stopping, and changing lanes. As such, proposals must carefully respond to safety, visibility, and maintenance requirements. The artwork must:

• Maintain clear driver sightlines to signals, signage, and crossings
• Discourage physical interaction and unsafe pedestrian crossings
• Avoid resemblance to traffic control devices, road markings, or wayfinding symbols
• Minimize glare, reflection, or visual distraction
• Maintain a low vertical profile relative to driver eye level
• Be visually calming and avoid excessive visual clutter
• Allow access to existing lighting infrastructure
• Be maintainable without requiring lane closures
• Withstand regular exposure to sand and salt used in winter road maintenance
• Exclude advertising, political, or offensive content

Installation must be carefully coordinated to minimize traffic disruption and occur outside peak traffic periods.

Budget

The total project budget is $90,000 + GST, inclusive of all artist fees, design development, engineering, fabrication, materials, transportation, installation, insurance, documentation, permits, and preparation of a maintenance manual.

Shortlisted artists will receive an honorarium of $2,500 + GST to prepare a final design proposal. An in-person site visit will be required for shortlisted artists; travel and accommodation for one representative (per team) will be reimbursed according to City procedures.

Eligibility

This opportunity is open to Canadian professional visual artists, as defined by the Canada Council for the Arts. Artists must demonstrate professional standing, a history of public presentation, and relevant experience. Preference may be given to artists with experience in public art and working with public-sector partners.

Project Timeline

• RFQ Posting: February 27, 2026
• Qualification Submission Deadline: April 28, 2026
• Shortlist Notification: Mid-May, 2026
• Site Visit: June 8 – 18, 2026
• Final Proposal Submission: October 2, 2026
• Commission Award and Announcement: November 2026
• Installation Complete: September 30, 2027

Submission Requirements – Stage I (Qualifications)

Applicants must submit:

1. Letter of Intent outlining interest in the project, relevant experience, general conceptual approach, and availability
2. Current CV (for each artist if applying as a team)
3. Completed reference section via the City’s Bids and Tenders platform
4. Up to ten (10) screen-resolution images of relevant past work with full artwork details and brief descriptions

Shortlisted artists will be invited to submit a site-specific final design proposal for Stage II evaluation.

Full RFQ details and submission instructions are available through the City of Lethbridge procurement portal under the bid identifier COL-25-208 13th Street Median Public Art.

Submission Deadline: April 28, 2026, at 2:00pm (local time)

For Public Art Program inquiries:
publicart@artslethbridge.org

Lethbridge Public Art – Allied Arts Council of Lethbridge
318 7th Street South
Lethbridge, AB T1J 2G2
publicartlethbridge.ca