Calling all Artists!
Request for Qualifications
Posted: Sept 15, 2023
Closes: October 13
Who Calls: Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) with overall creative
Project Location: DESC Burien, 801 SW 150th St, Burien, WA 98166
Project Objectives:
DESC desires an experienced artist or graphic designer, familiar with mural installation and/or high definition digital artwork creation, to complete one or more of the following scopes. DESC desires an artist or graphic designer with strong connections to the Burien community. Call is open to all artists and preference will be given to artists with strong ties to the Burien community. These murals will be permanent art installations and we want to bring recognition to the vibrant and talented artists of the Burien community. As this building serves individuals who are exiting chronic homelessness, it is DESC’s hope that the mural creator(s) will demonstrate a keen understanding or a desire to learn more about how homelessness can affect people experiencing it and communities as a whole. Artists or graphic designers may use this RFQ to apply for Mural 1, Mural 2, or both Mural 1 AND Mural 2.
Timeline:
Qualifications Due: October 13
Install: March 2024 (see RFQ link under “how to submit” for more timeline details)
Artist Stipend for Designs: $2,500 (for digital or photographed art to be printed) - $5,000 (for mural design only, installation budget will be requested from those who are invited to submit designs)
How to submit:
Please submit your responses + images to the emails listed on page one of the DESC RFQ posted here.
About DECS
DESC (Downtown Emergency Service Center) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to end chronic homelessness in our community. DESC provides shelter, emergency housing, permanent supportive housing, intensive case management, supportive services, and behavioral health crisis response and outpatient treatment services to some of the most vulnerable individuals experiencing homelessness in the Seattle area. DESC is a leader in the field, an innovator of the Housing First model, and recipient of numerous awards for its innovative behavioral health programs and housing developments for people with complex needs. Today, DESC owns and manages nearly 1,500 units of supportive housing throughout Seattle and has four projects currently under development in Burien and Seattle.
Project Details:
DESC Burien Permanent Supportive Housing is aimed at addressing the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness in our region using an innovative and comprehensive approach which combines housing with on-site support services. When construction is complete, this site will permanently house 95 individuals exiting homelessness, with 25 units dedicated to U.S. military veterans and 29 units reserved for people experiencing homelessness in the City of Burien. The first floor of the building is designed with a front reception space where building staff are present 24/7 for tenants, a kitchen out of which staff serve meals twice a day, lounge spaces, group activity spaces, private rooms for individual meetings with case managers, a medical office, and an exterior courtyard for use by tenants.
Housing Developer Julie Nordgren and Field Manager Jared O’Dell manage the construction of DESC Burien with assistance from Housing Development Coordinator Akhil Arun and Construction Coordinator Christopher Ledestich, and oversight from Director Sondra Nielsen. SMR Architects provide design services and Absher Construction is the general contractor.