The City of Bellingham is looking for artists to help shape what children and teenagers experience when they walk into the renovated Bellingham Central Library. A request for qualifications is open now, inviting artists to apply for commissions that will place original artwork in the library's youth and teen spaces as part of the facility's ongoing renovation. The deadline to apply is September 18 at noon.
What the Commission Involves
Selected artists will be responsible for designing, fabricating, and installing artwork specifically for the children and teen areas of the library. This is phase 2 of the library renovation project, meaning the structural and functional work on the building is already underway and the artistic component is being layered in as spaces near completion.
This is a professional commission, not a grant or a submission call. Artists who are selected will be contracted to produce work that is permanently installed in a heavily used public facility serving young people across Bellingham and the surrounding area. That means the work needs to be durable, age-appropriate, and designed to enhance the environment for its intended users rather than simply occupy wall or floor space.
The request for qualifications format, rather than a full proposal request, means the city is first screening artists based on their background, past work, and fit for the project. Shortlisted artists will then be invited to develop more detailed proposals. This approach is common for public art commissions and gives artists with strong portfolios a path forward even if they have not worked on a library project before.
About the Library Renovation
The Bellingham Central Library, located in the heart of downtown Bellingham, is one of the most visited public facilities in the city. The branch serves patrons across all age groups, but its children's and teen sections are particularly active: after-school programming, summer reading events, tutoring, and casual drop-in visits all concentrate in those spaces.
Phase 2 of the renovation follows an initial phase that addressed other parts of the building. Adding original commissioned artwork to the youth spaces is a signal that the city sees the library renovation as more than a functional upgrade. Public art in libraries, particularly art made specifically for young audiences, has been shown in research by the American Library Association to improve how welcoming and memorable a space feels, which in turn affects whether kids want to return.
Bellingham Public Library serves the city through its main branch downtown and several neighborhood locations. The central library's renovation has been in the works for some time, and the artist commission represents one of the more visible and lasting decisions that will come out of the process. For more background on how the city's library system serves the community, recent summer reading programming shows how actively the library engages youth in Whatcom County.
How to Apply and What Happens Next
The application deadline is September 18, 2026 at noon. Artists interested in submitting qualifications should visit cob.org/artist-rfq-library-remodel for the full details, including submission requirements, eligibility criteria, and any compensation or budget information the city has made available to applicants.
Applicants do not need to be local to Whatcom County, though artists with a connection to the region and an understanding of the community the library serves may find that background valuable in their materials. The city's public art program has historically sought work that reflects the character and values of Bellingham, and a library commission for youth spaces is an opportunity to create something with genuine generational impact.
After the September 18 deadline, the city will review qualifications and move forward with a shortlist process. Installation would come as renovation work on the targeted spaces nears completion. Residents who have young children or who use the library regularly may eventually see the results of this commission for many years to come.
