Artists and/or artist teams from the states of Washington, Oregon and California are invited to submit qualifications for a $150,000 commission for the Center for Urban Waters. The application deadline is Jan.15, 2009.

The Center for Urban Waters will be a three-story, 51,205 square-foot marine research facility located on the east side of the Thea Foss Waterway in Tacoma. The building will house laboratories and office space for the City of Tacoma’s Environmental Services Division, University of Washington Tacoma Urban Waters Research Program and a new state agency, Puget Sound Partnership. One of the project goals is to attain the highest LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, which is Platinum.

The property is being developed by Lorig Associates, LLC. The artist selection process is being facilitated by the City of Tacoma’s Municipal Art Program. For a complete prospectus, go to http://www.tacomaculture.org/arts/Esubmit.asp .