The City of Ann Arbor invites artists, designers, or artist teams to submit qualifications to create a permanent, site-specific public artwork along the Nixon Road corridor in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
PROJECT :
Nixon Road Roundabout Public Art in Ann Arbor, MI
BUDGET:
up to $75,000
DEADLINE:
October 23rd at 11.59 pm PDT
Nixon Road Roundabout Public Art in Ann Arbor, MI
OPPORTUNITY
The City of Ann Arbor invites artists, designers, or artist teams to submit qualifications to create a permanent, site-specific public artwork along the Nixon Road corridor in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This opportunity is part of the City’s streetscape improvements to Nixon Road, spanning approximately one mile between Huron Parkway and Dhu Varren/Green Road. Three roundabouts and adjacent sidewalk areas near bus stops offer potential locations for artwork. Artists may propose a cohesive series distributed along the corridor or focus on a single location. The City welcomes a range of approaches responding to the community and diverse daily activities along the corridor.
SITE + PROJECT BACKGROUND
Nixon Road is located in the northeast area of Ann Arbor and serves as a main transportation corridor connecting surrounding townships and rural areas to retail and service destinations along Plymouth Road, Logan Elementary and Clague Middle School, the University of Michigan’s North Campus, and further pathways to downtown Ann Arbor. The neighborhood surrounding this section of Nixon Road includes apartments, single-family homes, condominiums, duplexes, and newer residential developments. The community is culturally diverse and includes long-term residents as well as university students.
Historically, much of the area was farmland until the 1960s. Today, Nixon Road serves a wide range of transportation modes, including vehicles, public buses, bicycles, and pedestrians. The corridor is an active part of everyday neighborhood life, with residents walking to nearby stores, families and students traveling to and from schools, people traveling north to access nearby Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms for locally grown produce, and commuters moving through the area.
The City of Ann Arbor initiated the reconstruction of Nixon Road to improve safety, expand non-motorized transportation facilities, reduce user delays, and improve access throughout the corridor. Construction began in 2025 and is currently in its final phase, with completion anticipated in Fall 2026. The reconstruction project is managed by Wade Trim Engineers.
Previous public art in the neighborhood nearby include a beloved 2007 community painted flower mural across more than 1,000 ft of residential fences and a water tower featuring painted clouds. Over time, the flower mural gradually changed as residents replaced their fences, and only portions of the original mural remain today. Together, these projects reflect moments when art became part of the everyday landscape. This commission offers an exciting opportunity to introduce permanent public art to the Nixon Road corridor on a new scale and create a distinctive, lasting presence for the neighborhood.
Download Project Images and Site Packet Information
ELIGIBILITY
The City of Ann Arbor is seeking artists or artist teams who can commit to working in Ann Arbor as necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of this project. Any artist or artist team residing in the United States can apply.
TIMELINE
All dates other than the submission deadline are approximate, subject to change, and are presented for guidance only.
- Call Submission Deadline: October 23, 2026 at 11:59pm PDT
- Semi-finalists Selected: December, 2026
- Semi-finalists Proposals Due and Interviews: Artists will be given 6 weeks to develop their proposal. Interviews may follow with top candidates.
- Finalist Awarded: March 2027
- Project Installation and Completion: expected 2028 or earlier
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
Submissions must be submitted online at CaFE Call for Entry by October 23rd at 11:59 PM PDT. There is no application fee to apply or use the online application system. Please submit the following application requirements:
- Letter of Interest: Describe your interest in the project and your proposed approach to developing and creating artwork for the Nixon Road corridor (2000 character max)
- Resume: The resume should highlight relevant professional accomplishments and experience. For artist teams, submit a resume for each team member; each individual resume may not exceed two (2) pages.
- Artwork Images: selection of ten (10) images representing past artworks most relevant to the scope of this opportunity. While not mandatory, you may include sketches of a proposed idea as one or more of your 10 images.
- Artist Bio (1500 character max)
- References, three (3) professional references, including name, affiliated organization (if appropriate), email address, phone number, and relationship to each reference.
FOR QUESTIONS:
This Call-for-Art is managed in collaboration with the City of Ann Arbor by the A2AC’s Art in Public Program. Please direct your questions to:
artinpublic@annarborartcenter.org or call 734-926-4122