Request For Proposal (RFP)
Proposals Due: August 22 2025
Section 1: Background and Overview of Project
Mission and Purpose of the Friedman Alley Murals
To create a variety of art pieces for Friedman Alley with the goal of creating an artistic and active space in Downtown Waukesha.
City of Waukesha Background
The City of Waukesha, Wisconsin is an award winning and growing community located along the shores of the Fox River, 15 miles west of Milwaukee. The City is the seventh largest in the state with a population of approximately 72,000 people. Friedman Alley is located in Downtown Waukesha, between Riverfront Street and Main Street at the Five Points. The alley is a main connection from the riverwalk to the downtown, which is frequently used by pedestrians as a main thoroughfare. Friedman Alley used to host events such as vendor fairs and the Waukesha Farmers Market. However, in recent years, the alley has been used less and had become more dilapidated before recent improvements. City staff identified Friedman Alley as the ideal location for a new placemaking plan.
The City has a thriving historic downtown boasting concerts, a farmer’s market, and scenic Riverwalk. The location on the river, historic buildings, and strong artist culture all contribute to the unique character of the City. Waukesha also includes great neighborhoods, excellent schools, and an award-winning park system with recreation programs for the whole family. All these factors work together to help make Waukesha a great place to live, work, and raise a family.
Waukesha has a proud history of Public Art which continues to grow. The City offers a Public Art walking tour that highlights approximately 20 art pieces around the Downtown. Downtown Waukesha is also a hub for local artists. The downtown has a long and rich history as an incubator for local artists and has a highly sought-after inventory of gallery, teaching, and studio spaces. The West End Artist Association organizes Art Crawls five times annually. These events are well attended and have been occurring since 1997.
The City undertook a rebranding of the downtown. The goal of the rebrand was to capture the eclectic, artistic, and charming character of Downtown Waukesha.
A dedicated webpage for downtown was developed to help market the downtown – Downtown Waukesha – Riverwalk to Rock n’ Roll . The brand guidelines can be found here: Partner With Us – Downtown Waukesha The Redevelopment Authority (RDA) spearheaded the Central City Master Plan that was adopted in 2012, with the goal of revitalizing the downtown and creating an “urban lifestyle”. One of the goals was to create a positive experience while walking, parking, cycling, and driving downtown. The Friedman Alley design concept stems from the goals of the Central City Master Plan.
Placemaking in Friedman Alley
Over the past several years, the City of Waukesha has invested heavily in the roadways and streetscape in Downtown Waukesha, as developed in the Central City Master Plan.
Friedman Alley is one of the public pedestrian ways in downtown and extends from Riverfront Street to Main Street and is an important pedestrian connection from the Riverwalk to the heart of Downtown. In 2020, Friedman Alley was refreshed with new concrete pavement and enhanced lighting. These enhancements improved the visual appearance of the alley, however, the city identified the opportunity to enhance the space. In order to create a more vibrant space that could accommodate both pedestrians and service vehicles, the City worked with The Kubala Washatko Architects (TKWA) to develop a Placemaking Plan for Friedman Alley. The goal of the plan was to “Activate the Alley” and make it a vibrant, artistic, well-lit, safe and active destination in Downtown Waukesha.
The final design concept was adopted by the City Common Council in 2024. A central feature of the design is the incorporation of art, including the installation of murals on boards mounted to the buildings along the alley. The City is currently seeking proposals for three of the seven areas envisioned for the installation of murals.
The adopted Placemaking Plan and additional information on the project can be found on the City’s website: Friedman Alley- Activate the Alley.
Section 2: Scope of Work
Artists or others with similar skill sets are encouraged to submit design proposals for one or all of the locations. The mural or piece of art must be an original piece that can withstand the elements. Wall sculptures, bas relief, or three-dimensional art will also be considered. Multiple persons/agencies/companies may submit a collaborative proposal. If a joint proposal is made, the team should clearly list one person to serve as the main contact for the proposal. The City reserves the right to choose the murals to be placed on the wall. If a group applies for all three murals, the City may choose one based on the other artist submittals. The artist will be responsible for installation of the mural. Three mural areas have been identified, if the artist wishes to combine areas, that will be considered.
Section 3: Proposal Contents, Provisions, & Requirements
Proposal Format
All documents must be in PDF format. Each submission must include:
1. Design concept for the Friedman Alley Murals, including the proposed location. Drawing or image of proposed work to be provided.
2. A narrative explaining the design concept and a description of the piece.
3. Materials to be used for the art piece. Due to the historic status of the buildings on which the art will be placed, murals may not be painted directly onto the surface of the building. Murals shall be painted onto board with a minimum thickness of 3mm.
4. A timeline for completion and installation
5. Approximate dimensions for proposed artwork or structures
6. Cost for the design, fabrication, installation, and artist fee
7. Biography of each individual or company involved with the design proposal
8. Examples of previously completed and installed artwork or similar projects to that being proposed
Timely submissions of the design proposal(s) are the sole responsibility of the proposer. No fax, hard copy, or flash drive submissions will be accepted. All proposals become the property of the City of Waukesha.
Submission of Proposal
Responses must be submitted via email or an electronic cloud-based storage format (e.g., Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, etc.). PDF’s, access link(s) and any password(s) for password protected folder(s)/file(s) in the cloud storage shall be emailed to rgrams@waukesha-wi.gov with the email subject as follows: “RFP Friedman Alley Murals City of Waukesha– company name” and received by August 8, 2025 by Midnight (CST).
City of Waukesha Requirements
Selected parties will be required to comply with the following requirements:
- W-9, Request for Taxpayer ID form.
- Must be able to satisfy all requirements pertaining to insurance
- Sign the City’s contract for consultant/artist services
- Respondents may be asked to present their design concept at a Public Art Committee Meeting
Selection Process & Timeline
The Public Art Committee and staff will evaluate the responses to this request for concept designs based on the criteria outlined in the Scope of Work. The Committee may choose to interview finalists. Interviews will occur as part of a Public Art Committee Meeting.
Acceptance/Rejection & Negotiation of Proposal
The Public Art Committee and the City of Waukesha reserve the right to accept, combine, modify, or reject any proposal submitted.
Questions
Please submit any questions via email to Robin Grams, Associate Planner rgrams@waukesha-wi.gov
All replies to questions will be posted on the following webpage:
www.waukesha-wi.gov/government/departments/friedman-alley-mural-rfp.php