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City of Madison

Finalist designs for State Street Campus Garage/Hawthorne Court public art released

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The City of Madison has received proposals from the three finalists for public art at the State Street Campus Garage/Hawthorne Court, and now members of the community are invited to provide feedback on the proposed designs and hear from the artists at an upcoming community meeting.

In October 2025, the State Street Campus Garage/Hawthorne Court Ad-Hoc Public Art Committee selected 3 finalists to proceed to the design phase from a pool of 66 eligible applicants. In November 2025, the finalists came to Madison for a site visit, project orientation, and community meeting.

The artists were asked to keep four goals for the project in mind when creating their proposed designs:

  • Add beauty and interest

    Using a vibrant, fun, and imaginative design

  • Create a visually impactful landmark

    Engaging viewers up close and from a distance

  • Celebrate the site-specific context

    Characterizing downtown Madison and our community character

  • Incorporate, use, or play with light

    Creating a welcoming environment during both day and night

This project is part of the City of Madison’s Percent for Art program, which was created through an ordinance passed by the Common Council in October 2017. The ordinance requires 1% of City funds committed to projects budgeted at $6 million or more to be used for public art. The Call for Art for this project was issued for $320,000.

Design Presentation Public Meeting

The artists will present their design proposals & answer questions at a virtual public meeting.  The meeting will be recorded and posted to the Madison Public Art page the day after the event.

  • Monday, February 23, 2026

  • 5:30pm to 6:30pm

  • Virtual Meeting

     

    Register to Attend

    After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the meeting.

Design Proposals

Inter/Stitch by Area C Projects

  • Rendering of an assortment of colorful pyramids on the walls of the new State Street Campus Garage
    Image credit: Area C Projects
    Image credit: Area C Projects
  • Rendering of an assortment of colorful pyramids on the side of the new State Street Campus garage
    Image credit: Area C Projects
    Image credit: Area C Projects

What Started as a Joke by Matthew Mazzotta

  • Rendering of a large illuminated pink flamingo along a walkway
    Image credit: Matthew Mazzotta
    Image credit: Matthew Mazzotta
  • Rendering of a nighttime view of a large, illuminated pink flamingo at the bus entrance to the garage
    Image credit: Matthew Mazzotta
    Image credit: Matthew Mazzotta

Cheerio by StudioKCA

  • Artist sketch of large sculptures of Robins perched on the new garage
    Image credit: StudioKCA
    Image credit: StudioKCA
  • Artist sketch of large sculptures of Robins perched on the new garage, illuminated at night
    Image credit: StudioKCA
    Image credit: StudioKCA

Things to do, Places to go, People to See by StudioKCA

  • Artist sketch of large post-it notes scattered along the facade of the garage, highlighting Madison events
    Image credit: StudioKCA
    Image credit: StudioKCA
  • Artist sketch of large post-it notes on the facade of the garage, illuminated at night
    Image credit: StudioKCA
    Image credit: StudioKCA

Community Survey 

Share your feedback with the State Street Campus Garage/Hawthorne Court Ad-Hoc Public Art Committee. The committee will consider public feedback before recommending a design to the Madison Arts Commission and the Madison Common Council. 

The survey will be open until 2:00pm on Monday, March 9, 2026.

Take the Survey

Next Steps

The State Street Campus Garage/Hawthorne Court Ad Hoc Public Art Committee will review and score the proposals at 12:00pm on Monday, March 16, 2026. They will make a recommendation to the Madison Arts Commission, which will recommend a winning design to the Madison Common Council.

The selection will be announced in March or April 2026. The work will be fabricated and installed sometime between September 2026 and May 2027.  

Additional Information and Resources

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