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Mayor Kirk Caldwell and Dan Grabauskas, executive director of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, spoke about the public art program for rail stations today outside of Honolulu Hale. (Krystle Marcellus/kmarcellus@staradvertiser.com) Honolulu Star-Advertiser Photo by Krystle Marcellus
City officials put out the call Tuesday for prospective artists looking to create original, Hawaiian-themed artwork for Honolulu’s future rail transit system.
The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation has set aside $5 million for 23 to 25 different pieces — sculptures and other weather-resistant artwork — to decorate the future elevated rail line’s 21 stations and its maintenance facility, which officials said will have an operations center open to the public.
Those overseeing the rail project hope the artwork will reflect Hawaii’s culture, history and traditions — as well as those of the stations’ locations along the 20-mile route.
The application process, which began Tuesday, is open to artists across the globe. Project officials said they’re particularly interested in those with a background or knowledge of Hawaii. Those interested in applying are encouraged to visit www.honolulu.gov/pur and click on “Professional Services” at the left side of the page. They can also visit www.califorentry.org.
Artists on-island can also attend a June 1 workshop on the application process, hosted by HART, at the semi-autonomous government agency’s office — 1099 Alakea Street, Suite 150. The session will run from 9 to 11 a.m.
The deadline to apply is 7:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time on June 20.
Artists selected will be compensated with a negotiated stipend based on the size and complexity of the work, as well as the time used to create the pieces, HART CEO Dan Grabauskas said Tuesday.
The budget for each piece will range from $125,000 to $450,000 based on the artwork and the station, officials said.
