This opportunity is a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) that will expand to a Request for Proposal (RFP) for qualified finalists. After applications have been reviewed, qualified finalists will be contacted by the commissioners and offered a $1000 stipend to develop a fully executable concept proposal for the Market + Branch site. Concept proposals are not required at this time.

The 4-mile Downtown Greenway will, when complete, encircle Greensboro’s central business district while expanding its perceived footprint. The Downtown Greenway is one of Action Greensboro’s signature projects, and was conceived to spur economic development, connect diverse communities, promote wellness, and re-energize downtown Greensboro. Public Art, accessible to all and informed by the many voices of Greensboro’s citizens, is a prominent focus on multiple locations along the Downtown Greenway. Created by a diverse group of local, national and international artists, public art tells the stories of our community and draws people in, while encouraging connections and making art a highly visible part of everyday life in our city. The Downtown Greenway web site can be found here, and an illustrated map of its route can be found here.

Market + Branch Commission

The proposed Market + Branch Public Art Project has been selected for funding by a local non-profit, The Cemala Foundation. Chartered in 1986 by the son of the co-founder of Cone Mills, Ceasar Cone II, and his wife Martha, the Foundation was envisioned as a way of continuing the family’s history of personal and business commitment to Greensboro. Today, by funding projects such as the Market + Branch public art project, the work of The Cemala Foundation continues to support the growth of a vibrant and innovative Greensboro that is nationally known as a magnet for individuals, families and businesses.

The Market + Branch Commission will be prominently located on the Western Branch section of the Downtown Greenway. The site for the sculpture is adjacent to the trail as it travels along an abandoned railroad line and crosses West Market Street, a main entryway into downtown Greensboro for vehicular traffic. The highly visible site provides an excellent opportunity to transform this well-travelled route into downtown. The addition of a dynamic public artwork will serve as a visual welcome to visitors enroute to our city’s center, as well as to the users of the Downtown Greenway. The planned addition of traffic signals at this location will be designed to slow down traffic along this stretch of West Market Street to allow for greater pedestrian safety, and will also afford drivers an opportunity to view what we anticipate will be a visual cue that they are entering an area of Greensboro that is welcoming, innovative, and engaging. Because of its location, the artwork will be enjoyed on a daily basis by both pedestrians and passing vehicular traffic, and, as is the case with all sections of the Downtown Greenway, the installation will provide an opportunity to create accessible programming that will encourage engagement by all citizens.

Site rendering image courtesy of the commissioners

As they considered funding this project, The Cemala Foundation Board Members identified a number of characteristics they considered important as they imagined a public art piece that would be installed where the Downtown Greenway intersects with West Market Street. The Board asks that the selected artist consider a variety of criteria to inform their design approach, such as creating an interactive or kinetic artwork that is fun, whimsical, and welcoming to all. The selected artist might also consider using light or color in an unusual or humorous way. The piece might be wayfinding or directional, and perhaps change as it is approached from different directions. Size, scale and impact are important considerations—the artwork should be visible to passing cars as well as pedestrians.

Be sure you register and log in to a CODAworx account to apply for this opportunity. Once you are logged in, the "APPLY TO RFP" button in the top right hand corner of this page will activate.

For this opportunity, you can submit up to 10 images previous projects. Please note that you will have to embed your images in a PDF file, and submit an annotated image list in a separate PDF file as well.

Please see the commission document for full project information and more detailed application instructions.