Bladensburg Bus Garage Public Art Project

Opportunity Summary

The WMATA Art in Transit Program is inviting professional Artists/Artist-led Teams to submit their qualifications to create a site-specific artwork as part of the Phase 2 of the Bladensburg Bus Garage Reconstruction Project. The three-dimensional artwork, such as a sculpture or a functional artwork, will be located by the Bus Entrance along Bladensburg Rd NE near 28th Street NE, and will serve as a welcoming landmark. The total public art budget is $330,000. Submissions are due November 15, 2026.

Background

AIT was created to provide artwork and performances at the Authority's transit facilities to enhance public spaces and provide high-quality arts experiences for transit customers and the public. AIT is committed to working with artists, other arts professionals, architects, engineers, community representatives, and jurisdictional arts councils to develop projects that reflect the spirit and vitality of the arts and communities in the Metro service area.

The Bladensburg Bus Garage sits on 17.59 acres bounded by Bladensburg Road NE, 25th Place NE, Douglas Street NE, and the CSX railroad line. It directly borders or is adjacent to the neighborhoods of Woodridge, Langdon, and Gateway. First built in 1962, the facility is one of Metro's oldest assets and supports approximately 500 operations employees. Construction on the new facility began in 2021 and will be completed in two phases, with Phase 2 expected to be completed by July of 2027.

In the early 1850s, sculptor Clark Mills purchased much of the land that would become Langdon and Woodridge to establish his foundry and studio — located where the bus garage now stands — where Mills and his enslaved apprentice Philip Reid disassembled, transported, and recast the Statue of Freedom for the U.S. Capitol dome in 1863. The area later saw streetcar-era suburbanization, racially restrictive covenants, industrial development, and mid-20th-century demographic change into Black middle-class enclaves in Woodridge and Langdon.

Two-Phase Selection Process

The selection and creation of the site-specific artwork will be procured using a Two-Phase Selection Process under a single solicitation.

• Phase 1 — Qualifications: Professional Artists/Artist-led Teams submit Qualifications. The Art Selection Panel will select a maximum of five (5) Phase 1 finalists.
• Phase 2 — Design Proposals: Phase 1 finalists submit site-specific design proposals through CaFÉ. Each Phase 1 finalist will receive a $3,500 stipend to prepare and submit a Phase 2 design proposal. Phase 2 proposals shall include a cost estimate not to exceed $330,000 for the entire project.

The resulting contract will be a firm-fixed-price contract.

Scope of Work

The Contractor shall provide all labor, materials, equipment, engineering, and supervision necessary to design, fabricate, and install the artwork, including design development (up to two design revisions), structural and engineering analysis, acquisition of permits, fabrication, coordination with WMATA, installation at the project site, and delivery of deliverables, warranty, and closeout documentation.

A two-phase selection process under a single solicitation. Phase 1 Qualifications are reviewed by an Art Selection Panel comprising art and design professionals and community representatives, which selects a maximum of five Phase 1 finalists. Phase 1 finalists submit Phase 2 site-specific design proposals through CaFÉ, which the Art Selection Panel ranks.

The Authority's Office of Procurement and Materials will then negotiate with the top-ranked Artist/Artist-led Team to finalize the contract award.