Organizer Information
4Culture is King County's cultural services agency, established as the Cultural Development Authority of King County in 2003 after evolving out of the county's former Office of Cultural Resources, and it later adopted the name 4Culture to reflect its four original focus areas of heritage, public art, historic preservation, and the arts. It is governed as a public development authority based in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood, and works across five program areas — arts, heritage, historic preservation, public art, and science and technology — funded through Lodging Tax, Doors Open, and One Percent for Art revenues, and supported by grant-makers, advisory committees, and volunteer peer-review panelists.
Within its Public Art program, 4Culture commissions artwork for shared public spaces, stewards the King County Public Art Collection, and offers consulting services to public and private partners. This opportunity is a partnership between 4Culture, King County's Facilities Management Division, and Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC), the county agency that operates the primary Pet Adoption Center in Kent and provides animal control, licensing, adoption, and pet owner assistance services across most of King County and 24 contracting cities.
Title & Description
RASKC New Animal Shelter Public Art Commission — Design-Only Opportunity
One Washington State-based artist will be commissioned to create six to eight two-dimensional designs for a new animal shelter and headquarters being built for Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) in Kent, WA. The project is design-only: the selected artist will deliver digital files for fabrication onto metal panels and window film, while 4Culture manages fabrication and installation.
The artwork is intended to honor and celebrate the human-animal bond and RASKC's role supporting the pets and people in the community it serves. The commission includes up to two interior murals produced from digital files onto metal panels — the first located to the left of the main entry, intended as a setting for adoption and reunification photos — and window film designs for three separate interior locations: three windows to the meeting rooms in the primary entry, three windows along the hallway to veterinary services, and three windows at the entry to the community pet food bank. The selected artist will meet with 4Culture and RASKC staff to learn about RASKC's services and is asked to consider the population RASKC serves, the human-animal bond, the impact of community support, and the emotional circumstances that may accompany a visit to RASKC.
Theme
Honoring and celebrating the human-animal bond and RASKC's role in supporting the pets and people in the community it serves, expressed through site-specific two-dimensional designs for a new animal shelter.
Categories
- Public Art
- Visual Arts
- Photography
- Printmaking
- Illustration
- Graphic
- Mural
- Design
Eligibility
- Open to artists who are at least 18 years old and residents of Washington State
- Emerging artists or those new to public art are strongly encouraged to apply
- Artists interested in RASKC's mission, with an understanding of and ability to artistically express the bond between animals and their humans, are strongly encouraged to apply
- Open to artists who work in two-dimensional media such as photography, printmaking, illustration, or graphic design
- One artist will be commissioned for this design-only opportunity
- King County employees; 4Culture staff, Board, and Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC) members; and their immediate family members or business partners are not eligible to apply
Program Benefits & Awards
- $15,000 artist design fee for project research, engagement with RASKC, and design-only development of the artwork (inclusive of WA Sales/Use Tax and other applicable taxes)
- Up to $3,000 additional funding for production of digital files (payable to the selected artist, their subcontractor, or a 4Culture subcontractor)
- Up to $3,000 for approved in-state travel related to project development, using GSA-established rates
- Up to $3,000 for active community engagement (such as workshops or public activities) related to development of the art project, if the artist chooses to include this in their process
- Fabrication and installation of the artist-designed mural panels and window treatments managed and funded separately by 4Culture
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Online application via 4Culture's application system (account setup required; new accounts are manually activated by 4Culture staff)
- Current demographic information in applicant profile
- Artist contact information (Profile section)
- Statement of Interest: 500 words or less, explaining interest in the opportunity, connection to the site, and approach to the commission; must not include a design proposal
- Current professional résumé, maximum two pages, PDF preferred (.txt also accepted)
- 10 digital images of past work (no composite images), each with a brief description of 75 words or less; images as JPG files, 1920 pixels on the longest side (suggested), at least 72 dpi, and less than 2 MB in size
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Applicant Info Session (virtual): 9 July 2026
- Application Deadline: 29 July 2026
- Selection Panel Meetings: 31 August 2026
- Notification of Results: Week of September 28, 2026
- Contracts Issued: Early October 2026
- Research/Engagement/Design Period: October 2026–December 2027
- Public Art Advisory Committee Review: January 2027
- Panel & Window Treatment Fabrication: February 2027
- Panel & Window Treatment Installation: March/April 2027, coordinated with the opening of the new RASKC facility
Location
Kent, WA, Umited States
Additional Details
- A five-person selection panel — comprised of artists, arts professionals, community partners, a project consultant, and Facilities Management Division and RASKC staff — will review applications, identify finalists for interviews, and select one artist for the commission
- Selection criteria include artistic merit, ability to create site-specific 2D designs serving as a strong visual identity for the location, specificity of the Statement of Interest, and commitment to equity and social justice in considering the population RASKC serves
- Applicants are expected to remain flexible on scheduling to participate in a virtual finalist orientation and interview if selected
- Schedules noted in the timeline are subject to change
- The current RASKC site includes two existing three-dimensional artworks — Anima, a 1976 bronze sculpture by Karsten Boysen, and Bulldog Weathervane, a 1992 roofline piece by Peter Reiquam — both of which will be re-sited outdoors at the new location, with exact placement still to be determined