---
title: >-
  Request for Qualifications: 13th Street Underpass Public Art Commission, City
  of Lethbridge
description: >-
  Public art commission for 13th Street underpass in Lethbridge, AB. $90,000
  budget. Open to Canadian professional visual artists.
url: 'https://www.artsume.com/programs/fcc200bd-5150-4d77-9e07-671b6424be4c'
type: program
status: closed
createdAt: '2026-03-11'
updatedAt: '2026-09-30'
programType: Public art
organization: Allied Arts Council of Lethbridge
organizationUrl: 'https://www.artsume.com/o/allied-arts-council-of-lethbridge'
deadline: '2026-04-28'
location: '13th Street Underpass, Lethbridge, AB, Canada'
isOnline: false
compensationRange: >-
  $90,000 + GST total project budget. Shortlisted artists receive $2,500 + GST
  honorarium for final design proposal plus travel reimbursement for site visit.
---

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

**Hosted by:** Allied Arts Council of Lethbridge

**Type:** Public art | **Location:** 13th Street Underpass, Lethbridge, AB, Canada | **Deadline:** April 28, 2026

## About This Program

> "Permanent multi-element public artwork for highway underpass median, introducing visual interest and vibrancy to utilitarian infrastructure"

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.

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. Proposals must carefully respond to safety, visibility, and maintenance requirements including maintaining clear driver sightlines, discouraging physical interaction and unsafe pedestrian crossings, avoiding resemblance to traffic control devices, minimizing glare and visual distraction, maintaining a low vertical profile, being visually calming, allowing access to existing lighting infrastructure, being maintainable without lane closures, and withstanding regular exposure to sand and salt used in winter road maintenance.

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

## Eligibility & Requirements

- **Geographic Eligibility:** National
- **Note:** Open to Canadian professional visual artists as defined by the Canada Council for the Arts. 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.

### Additional Requirements

Letter of Intent outlining interest in the project, relevant experience, general conceptual approach, and availability; current CV (for each artist if applying as a team); completed reference section via the City's Bids and Tenders platform; up to ten (10) screen-resolution images of relevant past work with full artwork details and brief descriptions.

## Compensation & Benefits

$90,000 + GST total project budget. Shortlisted artists receive $2,500 + GST honorarium for final design proposal plus travel reimbursement for site visit.

**Includes:** Commission fee, Honorarium

Total project budget of $90,000 + GST is inclusive of all artist fees, design development, engineering, fabrication, materials, transportation, installation, insurance, documentation, permits, and preparation of a maintenance manual. Shortlisted artists receive an honorarium of $2,500 + GST to prepare a final design proposal.

## What's Provided

- **Travel Support:** Available - Travel and accommodation for one representative per team will be reimbursed according to City procedures for the required in-person site visit (June 8–18, 2026).

## Timeline

- **Opens:** February 27, 2026
- **Deadline:** April 28, 2026
- **Program End:** September 30, 2027

## Contact

**Email:** publicart@artslethbridge.org

## How to Apply

Apply at: https://lethbridge.bidsandtenders.ca/