Design-Only Artist Opportunity: Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC)
One Washington state-based artist will be commissioned to create six to eight two-dimensional designs for a new state-of-the-art animal shelter in Kent.
For this design-only project, the selected artist will deliver digital files for fabrication onto metal panels and window film, with fabrication and installation managed by 4Culture.
The artwork will honor and celebrate the human-animal bond and RASKC’s role in supporting the pets and people in the community they serve.
Steps to Apply
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About the Project
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About the Project
Budget
- $3,000 for digital files (funds will be provided to the subcontractor completing this work – the selected artist, their subcontractor, or 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 other in person public activities) related to the development of the art project (as explained below).
Note: 4Culture will manage fabrication and installation costs related to artist-designed mural panels and window treatments as part of a separate budget.
Opportunity
King County Executive Services has embarked on a project to replace the current aging Pet Adoption Center in Kent, WA. King County purchased a building that will be the new animal shelter and headquarters for Regional Animal Services. The facility is located at 5920 S. 194th St. in Kent, and the project will renovate a warehouse into a modern, state of the art animal care center.
Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) operates the county’s primary Pet Adoption Center in Kent, WA. Its mission is to provide King County with sustainable, cost-effective services that protect people and animals, while providing humane animal care. RASKC is built on the cornerstone values of compassion and service. They demonstrate this commitment in the countless hours spent by staff and RASKC volunteers to save animals’ lives at the shelter and in the field. By collaborating with community partners, they are able to expand programs and resources to provide even greater value to residents. RASKC provides the following services:
Animal Control – RASKC is dedicated to promoting and protecting the health, safety, and welfare of people and pets in their service area. RASKC provides a 24-hour public safety response to dangerous animals, loose livestock on public roadways, as well as animal injury and abuse. Animal Control Officers (ACOs) conduct investigations, enforce state and local laws related to animals, as well as educate the public about animal welfare, restraint, and licensing. ACOs respond to more than 5,000 calls each year and cover nearly 1,100 square miles and a population of more than one million people.
Lost and Found Services – RASKC provides animal care and control in 24 contracting cities and the unincorporated areas of King County. They also provide information on how to help a stray pet get back home.
Adoptions – RASKC’s goal is to place healthy and treatable adoptable pets into permanent homes. They welcome all adopters and aim to find a great match for every prospective adopter by providing as much information as they can about each animal and ultimately allowing each adopter to make the final decision about what is right for their family.
Licensing – King County pet licenses are required for all dogs and cats eight weeks of age or older living in the Regional Animal Services coverage area. A pet license identifies and protects a dog or cat in case they get lost.
Pet Owner Assistance Program – For pet owners experiencing economic hardship, RASKC has a Community Pet Food Bank, and provides dog and cat kibble (dry food), with cat litter, canned pet food, and other pet toys and supplies available depending on incoming donations.
4Culture is partnering with the Facilities Management Division (FMD) and RASKC to select one artist to create a cohesive, two-dimensional design for the project site. Art locations will include up to two (2) 2-dimensional murals (from a digital file) that will be produced on metal panels and installed in the main entry. The first mural will be on the interior, to the left of the entry, and provide a setting for the first photo of pets with their new, adoptive family and for pet reunifications. The second mural will be determined based on the final interior design and layout of the RASKC facility. Additional 2-dimensional artwork will be designed in digital files and be translated into window film. The window designs will create privacy over the windows at the facility and will include three different areas: three (3) windows to the meeting rooms in the primary entry, three (3) windows of the hallway to veterinary services, and three (3) windows at the entry to the community pet food bank. The primary entry will be the area where the public and staff first meet visitors to RASKC to assess the reason for the visit and triage guests to the appropriate area of the facility. The lobby will also be used as a waiting space for customers waiting for services like adoptions, pet licensing, surrenders, and more. The meeting rooms will be used by visitors and staff for private conversations, which may include adoptions, owner surrender consultations, and difficult end-of-life discussions. The public will use alternate entries to access veterinary services, community space, and the pet food bank.
The selected artist will meet with 4Culture and RASKC staff to gain a better understanding of the range of services provided at RASKC. The selected artist should consider the population that RASKC serves, the unique bond between animals and people, and the impact of community support. The selected artist should also thoughtfully consider how the public and staff use these spaces and the emotional circumstances that may be part of a visit to RASKC for their services.
The artist will deliver up to two unique, mural designs (approximately 10’ tall x 79” wide, exact dimensions to be determined) in the form of high-quality digital files that meet technical specifications outlined by the metal panel fabricator. The artist will also develop at least three digital designs (can be one image divided into three panels) that will cover 3 windows each in three separate locations. An additional $3,000 stipend is available to produce these digital files, which can be completed by the selected artist, their subcontractor, or 4Culture subcontractor.
Up to $3,000 will be available for active community engagement (such as workshops or other in-person public activities) related to the development of the art project. These funds will be made available if a higher level of community engagement is part of the selected artist’s process for design development. This is not mandatory for the selected artist but if utilized, will be coordinated with 4Culture and the project partners.
4Culture will select the fabricator and manage the fabrication, oversight, and installation of the artwork, making this an ideal project for an emerging artist or an artist new to the field of public art.
Project Location
The new animal shelter and headquarters for Regional Animal Services will be located at 5920 S. 194th St. in Kent, WA 98032.
Background
4Culture is King County’s cultural services agency. Through five integrated program areas—Public Art, Heritage, Arts, Historic Preservation, and Science + Technology—4Culture supports cultural vitality and the assets that make communities vibrant, distinctive, and authentic. Public Art 4Culture ensures that artists’ work and ideas are present in the built environment by commissioning art for shared public spaces, stewarding the King County Public Art Collection, and offering consulting services to public and private partners.
RASKC had a predecessor agency, King County Animal Control. It was established in 1972 to provide animal services and public education to most of King County. Re-energized in 2008 with a directive to improve animal outcomes and increase efficiency, KCAC dramatically increased the number of animals rehomed each year.
In 2010, Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) was formed as a partnership between King County and more than two dozen cities to improve animal welfare in our region. Today, RASKC provides service to the unincorporated portion of King County and the following contracting cities: Beaux Arts, Bellevue, Black Diamond, Carnation, Clyde Hill, Covington, Duvall, Enumclaw, Issaquah, Kenmore, Kent, Lake Forest Park, Maple Valley, Mercer Island, Newcastle, North Bend, Redmond, Sammamish, SeaTac, Shoreline, Snoqualmie, Tukwila, Woodinville, Yarrow Point.
With help from RASKC’s city partners, about 100,000 cats and dogs are protected with identification through licensing by RASKC annually. License fees are used to provide animal care and control services and to shelter homeless pets until they get adopted.
RASKC’s animal services officers cover a territory of more than 1,100 square miles, an area nearly the size of the state of Rhode Island. Their Pet Adoption Center staff and volunteers give thousands of animals each year a second chance by providing quality care while they are in transitional housing at the animal shelter.
RASKC works with hundreds of contracted pet license sales partners, including local city halls, licensing agencies, pet stores, veterinary clinics, animal shelters, and grocery stores. These partners help RASKC by selling pet licenses and distributing information and applications in locations conveniently accessible to our residents throughout the region.
RASKC also partners with other organizations in the animal services community, collaborating on programs and events throughout the year including pet adoption events, low-cost spay/neuter clinics, and much more.
The current RASKC site has two 3-dimensional artworks on the existing project site. The first work, Anima, is a bronze sculpture by artist Karsten Boysen that was installed in 1976.
The second, Bulldog Weathervane, was created by artist Peter Reiquam and installed on the roofline of the existing facility in 1992. Both artworks are located outdoors at the existing facility and will be re-sited outdoors at the new RASKC location, at locations that have yet to be determined.
Additional Information
4Culture Public Art
Regional Animal Servcies of King County
RASKC New Shelter Updates
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Timeline
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Timeline
Selection Timeline*
| Application Release | Thursday, June 25, 2026 |
| Applicant Info Session (virtual) | Thursday, July 9, 2026 2:30 PM (PDT) |
| Application Due Date | Wednesday, July 29, 2026 4:00 PM (PDT) |
| Selection Panel Meetings | Week of August 31, 2026 |
| Finalist Orientation** | Week of September 7, 2026 |
| Finalist Interviews** | Week of September 14, 2026 |
| Notification of Results | Week of September 28, 2026 |
Project Timeline*
| Contracts Issued | Early October 2026 |
| Research/Engagement/Design | October 2026–December 2027 |
| Public Art Advisory Committee | January 2027 |
| Panel & Window Treatment Fabrication | February 2027 |
| Panel & Window Treatment Installation | March/April 2027 (coordinated with opening of the new RASKC facility) |
*Schedules are subject to change.
**Applicants are expected to be flexible on these dates to participate in a virtual orientation and interview if selected as a finalist.
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Are You Eligible?
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Are You Eligible?
This opportunity is open to artists who are at least 18 years old and a resident of Washington State. Emerging artists or those new to public art, as well as artists who are interested in the mission and work of RASKC, and an understanding and ability to artistically express the bond between animals and their humans in a powerful and meaningful artwork for the site are strongly encouraged to apply.
This project is 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 and be responsible for creating designs for two wall designs and at least three designs for windows in three interior locations. 4Culture will select the panel and window film fabricators and manage the production of the artwork, which will be fabricated from the artist delivered digital files.
Individuals with potential conflicts of interest, including 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.
Selection Criteria
Finalists will be selected based on the following criteria:
- Artistic merit, as demonstrated through submitted examples of past work.
- Ability and interest in creating site-specific 2D designs that will serve as a strong visual identity for this location and the mission of RASKC.
- Specificity of Statement of Interest, which should include the applicant’s interest in this project and ability to develop artwork that considers the unique bond between animals and people, and the impact of community support.
- The selected artist will be asked to thoughtfully consider how the public and staff use these spaces and the emotional circumstances that may be part of a visit to RASKC for their services.
- Commitment to equity and social justice, and the ability to create artworks that consider the population that RASKC serves.
Selection Process
A five-person panel—comprised of artists, arts professionals, community partners, project consultant, and FMD and RASKC staff —will review all submitted application materials, identify finalists for interviews, and select one artist for this commission.
Finalists will be invited to a virtual orientation session where they will have the opportunity to learn more about the project and ask questions directly of 4Culture, FMD, and RASKC representatives prior to their interview.
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How to Apply
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How to Apply
Submission of an online application is required for this opportunity. Please contact us with any questions. We encourage you to begin your application early.
ACCOUNT SET-UP
Artists will use 4Culture’s application system for this process. You may be required to create a new account. Once you submit your account request, a 4Culture staff member will manually activate it during office hours, Mondays –Fridays 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM. You will receive a follow-up email within 2 business days with your username and a temporary password. We appreciate your patience and ask that you keep an eye out for this confirmation.
DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
Your applicant profile must be updated with current demographic information. This helps us understand how well we’re reaching all communities.
PROFILE
Artist’s contact information.
STATEMENT OF INTEREST
A written statement (500 words or less) explaining your interest in this opportunity, your connection to the site, and how you would approach this commission considering your past work. Consider the selection criteria as it relates to your experience and interests. Please do NOT submit a proposal as part of your application.
RÉSUMÉ
Upload a current professional résumé (maximum two pages). Keep formatting simple. PDFs are preferred; .txt files are also accepted. Some suggested items to include in your artist résumé include:
- Contact information – At the top of each page, include your name, address, phone number, email address and web URL.
- Education – List all academic degrees earned. Also include periods of study at schools or universities attended without completing a degree.
- Exhibitions – List the title of the exhibition, the exhibition venue, and the city/state where the exhibition was presented. Please indicate if it was a solo, two-person, or group exhibition.
- Professional experience – You may also consider listing experience that is relevant to your art practice such as teaching, lectures and artist residencies.
WORK SAMPLES
Submit 10 digital images (no composite images) of past work that best represent your qualifications for this opportunity. Each work sample requires a brief description (75 words or less) that includes, as applicable: project title, date, location, commissioning agency, budget, partners, photo credit, copyright owner, and a concise summary of the scope, intention, and outcome. Upload JPG files only; 1920 pixels on the longest side (suggested), at least 72 dpi, and less than 2 MB in size.
DUE DATE
Applications must be received no later than 4:00 PM PDT on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Please allow ample time to complete and upload your application; submissions will not be accepted after the deadline.
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Helping You Succeed
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Helping You Succeed
Info Session
All applicants are invited to a virtual information session on Thursday, July 9, 2026, at 2:30 PM PDT.
Please register in advance for this virtual workshop, which will be held on Zoom. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions for joining the meeting.
The session will be recorded and linked here when available.
If you have trouble accessing the virtual workshop or recording, please contact Fiona Dang (see below).
Contact Us
Please reach out to us with any questions.
Technical questions regarding the application:
Fiona Dang
Fiona.Dang@4Culture.org
206.848.0215
Conceptual questions regarding the art opportunity:
Kelly Pajek
Kelly.Pajek@4Culture.org
206.263.1606
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