Call to Artists: Bookstore at Union Square, Louisiana State University

Contact Email: sfinch@crt.la.gov
Call Type: Public Art
Eligibility: National
State: Louisiana
Entry Deadline: 11/15/19
Days remaining to deadline: 20

REQUIREMENTS:
Media
Images - Minimum: 6, Maximum: 6
Total Media - Minimum: 6, Maximum: 6

The Louisiana Percent for Art Program is seeking artists or artist teams to submit qualifications to design and implement an exterior site-specific sculpture or installation of original design at the site of the Barnes and Noble university bookstore and adjoining parking garage on the campus of Louisiana State University (LSU) located in Baton Rouge, LA. The artwork will be subject to direct sunlight (UV radiation) and must be unique, permanent, and require very minimal long-term maintenance. More detailed specifications will be given to artists selected to develop a proposal. All artists (national or international) are invited to apply.


PROJECT BACKGROUND

About LSU and Union Square

As the Flagship institution of the state, the vision of Louisiana State University is to be a leading research-extensive university, challenging undergraduate and graduate students to achieve the highest levels of intellectual and personal development.

LSU Union Square features the area of the campus bonded by Dalrymple Drive, East Campus Drive and South Campus Drive, and includes the Barnes & Noble university bookstore; the Club at LSU Union Square (formerly the LSU Faculty Club); the parking garage; the LSU Student Union and Union Theater; and connecting outdoor spaces. The Women’s Center, African American Cultural Center and the William A. Brookshire Military & Veterans Student Center are also located in the garage complex.

About the Public Art Site

Located at the Barnes and Noble university bookstore and parking garage site, the project has a place of prominence at the center of the campus. Adjoining the LSU Union Square, the site serves as a gathering that is frequented by students, faculty, and staff throughout the school year, as well as large numbers of visitors during special events.

The project should be consistent with the University’s commitment to the generation, preservation, dissemination, and application of knowledge and cultivation of the arts.


DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 15, 2019
PROJECT BUDGET: $170,000
SUBMISSION REQUIRMENTS: Application materials must be received by November 15, 2019 at 10:59PM CT via the Call for Entry (CAFE) system.

Items required include:

  • Resume/CV: Chronological resume demonstrating a minimum of five (5) years of professional visual art experience (NOT STUDENT WORK). If submitting as a team, a current resume should be submitted for each team member. (4 pages max per team member).

  • Letter of Interest & Artist Statement: Provide an artist statement and letter of interest.

  • Professional References: Include the names and current contact information for three individuals with whom you have worked, collaborated, or who have commissioned your work in the past. References will be contacted for artists invited to develop a proposal for the commission.

  • Work samples: Upload six (6) images of your original completed commissions, NOT PROPOSALS, which demonstrate your qualifications for the project. 3-D models, sketches, or drawings will not be accepted. You must include the title, medium, dimensions, project budget, year completed, location, and a description. The value must be indicated in US dollars. Each image must contain only one view of the work. Multiple views per image or unexecuted conceptual projects will not be considered and may disqualify your submission.
    Image specifications: JPG, PNG - Maximum size per image: 5MB, total 30MB
    *Slides, emailed prints, or any physical submissions will NOT be accepted.

The CAFE system will remain open until 10:59 PM CT on November 15, 2019 however, staff will only be available for assistance until 5:00 PM CT. Applicants are encouraged to apply early to reduce risk of technical difficulties. Incomplete or late submssions will NOT be accepted for any reason.

BUDGET
The budget listed is inclusive of all costs associated with the project, and commensurate with the intended scale, including but not limted to: research, professional consultations, formal reports from licensed structural and electrical engineers where appropriate, a long-term care and maintenance report from a licensed professional conservator, materials, fabrication, transportation, travel, insurance, installation, photography and documentation of the artwork and crediting plaque.

ELIGIBILITY
This commission is open to professional artists 18 and over, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender identification, military status, sexual orientation, marital status, or physical ability.

Artist teams may apply and must designate one artsit as the lead contact. All artists must have a minimum of five (5) years of demonstrated professional visual art experience (NOT STUDENT WORK). Examples of work submitted must be original, recently completed artwork (within the last 10 years).

SCOPE OF WORK
Artist(s) are expected to create a work of permanent art that will serve as the focal point of this space, and provide an artistic element to the gathering space.

The development and design for the artwork should:

  • Consider the elements of the site as a source of design ideas

  • Consider the area surrounding the artwork and its intended uses as described in this call.

  • Reflect the university's/community's history, diversity and cultural profile

  • Be durable, sturday, stable, and suitable for the climate conditions, resistant to UV damage, and safe for public interaction.

SELECTION PROCESS & EVALUATION CRITERIA
An Art Selection Committee (the Committee) includes representatives from the Louisiana Office of Facility Planning & Control, the architectural firm that designed the facility, representatives from Louisiana State University, and the State Arts Council. The Committee will review all eligible artist submissions.

Submissions are evaluated by the following criteria:

  • Artistic excellence and originality as evidenced by the representations of past work images and other supporting materials

  • Appropriateness of artist's medium, style, and previous experiences as they relate to the project goals and setting

  • Experience with projects of a similar scale and scope

  • Ability to create site-specific or site-reactive works

  • Availability to participate in the design and implementation of the project as required

  • Special consideration will be given to Louisiana artists, as defined by La. R.S.25:9000.1(E)

  • The Committee may also take into consideration when selecting artists whether or not an artist is already represented in the state's collection

NOTIFICATIONS AND PROPOSALS
Notifications will be issued no later than February 2020.
This is a call for submission of samples of previous work and qualifications only. If selected to develop a proposal for one of the commissions, you will be contacted by Percent for Art program staff with further details about the site, concept, and scope.

Finalists will be invited to attend two (2) meetings: a mandatory site visit to view the space and meet the committee, and an optional in-person presentation of the artist's proposal before the committee.

The proposal must include the concept, materials, size, weight, installations requirements, details of maintenance, and budget. The proposal must also include a maquette or digital renderings as appropriate, which shows the physical volume of the space and allows for multiple perspectives of the artwork within the space.

All proposal documents, including the maquette and renderings, will become property of the State of Louisiana and will be used for educational and/or promotional purposes of the program. Each finalist's propoposal and/or maquette may be exhibited for Committee and community consideration.

An honorarium/proposal fee of up to $1,500 will be paid to finalists to offset expenses associated with development of proposals and travel.

NOTE:
The Percent for Art Program and the Artist Selection Committee reserve the right to reject any or all applications or proposals, to reject any finalist, or to terminate the selection process for any project within prior notice.

The Louisiana Percent for Art Program was established by law in the 1999 legislative session. The law specifies that on projects using more than $2,000,000 in state funds, one percent (1%) of the expenditure for construction or renovation of a state building shall be for works of art by artists and craftsmen for the building or its grounds.

This program is administered by the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development's Division of the Arts in the Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism of the State of Louisiana, in collaboration with the Division of Administration and the Office of Facility Planning and Control.
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