Calling all artists: get involved in Sound Transit's new arts program, STart

February 23, 1998

Sound Transit the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority - seeks artists to become involved in STart, a comprehensive arts program designed to enrich and enhance the communities and neighborhoods served by Sound Transit's numerous transportation projects.

"STart is a wonderful opportunity to both showcase talented artists and to actively involve people in local communities to help decide the type of art that will best reflect and fit in with their neighborhood's character," Carol Valenta, Sound Transit public art program coordinator said. STart's budget is based on one percent of capital construction costs of regional transit facilities excluding tunneling segments.

Through STart, artists may be involved by proposing a concept for a public art project, working on a design team or by designing and fabricating discrete artworks. The deadline for submitting ideas for artist-initiated public arts projects is May 22, 1998, and for applying to be a member of a design team is April 13, 1998. A list is also being generated of artists who would like to be considered for various commissioned art works and projects.

For more information, artists are encouraged to visit the Sound Transit Website at www.soundtransit.org or please contact Carol Valenta, public art program coordinator, Sound Transit, 1100 Second Ave., Suite 500, Seattle, WA 98101-2423, (206) 689-7439.

Approved by voters in 1996, Sound Transit is on track to implement a three-county region-wide transit system plan known as Sound Move. Sound Move will be a seamless blend of three transportation systems: Sounder commuter rail, running 81 miles from Everett to Tacoma; Link light rail, a 24-mile system connecting the cities of Seattle, Tukwila and SeaTac and a 1.6 mile system connecting downtown Tacoma with the Tacoma Dome commuter station; and Regional Express, a bus transit system that will connect the major metropolitan areas of Bellevue, Everett, Tacoma and Seattle with other cities and numerous neighborhoods with 20 new, fast, limited-stop bus routes.

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Sound Transit plans, builds and operates regional transit systems and services to improve mobility for Central Puget Sound.