Public Art Sought for Louisiana Residential School

The Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA) seeks artists interested in creating two new public art pieces.

Budget:  $260,000 (2 artworks)

Eligibility: Professional artists over 18 working in the United States

Deadline:  September 5, 2020 (notifications in early November, 2020)

View full RFQ here.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

About the LSMSA: The Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts is a residential high school located on the campus of Northwestern State University, bordering the Kisatchie National Forest. LSMSA offers college-level courses to Louisiana’s most gifted and talented high school students from across the state. LSMSA’s curriculum embraces cross-curricular learning as students take advanced courses in all academic areas.

The faculty are highly committed to their fields, and 85% of the School’s faculty hold a doctorate or terminal degree in their teaching discipline. The faculty is innovative, at times holding class outside or hiking with students in Kisatchie Forest, providing experiential learning opportunities in all subject areas.

About Caroline Dormon:  Caroline Dormon made monumental contributions to the conservation of Louisiana’s natural and cultural resources. A passion for plants, old-growth forests, coupled with strong kinship with Native Americans, shaped Dormon’s life and work. Now, Caroline Dormon is considered the state’s first true conservationist, whose efforts helped protect Louisiana’s vast natural and cultural treasures.  LSMSA is excited to propose that the art installations should both celebrate and afford the school an opportunity to represent the many educational disciplines represented in Dormon’s life and working, including visual arts, humanities, and life sciences, as well as her advocacy for local Native American communities and cultures.

SITE INFORMATION

Piece #1 – Exterior

The first piece to pursue is a large scale site-specific piece honoring local historic figure, Caroline Dormon. This piece will serve as a centerpiece to the newly constructed living/learning community at the LSMSA campus, which is adjacent to Northwestern State University in historic Natchitoches, Louisiana. LSMSA is open to a wide variety of artist styles, including traditional statuary and contemporary art. The piece will be the focal point of a well-designed outside area that includes seating, walkways, lighting, and overall landscaping. This is intended to be a social space and a place that can provide learning opportunities for our students and the community at large.

Piece #2 – Interior Lobby

The second piece to be commissioned will be installed in the main lobby of the new LSMSA living learning center. The space includes a vaulted ceiling and is encompassed with glass walls, so the School is seeking artwork that can either be hung from the ceiling or is freestanding in the space. The piece will welcome our students and guests into the new living area of the campus. LSMSA’s vision for the public installation is to ask the artists to consider ways to represent and to honor influential naturalist and conservationist, Caroline Dormon.

SCOPE OF WORK

Artist(s) are expected to create permanent works of art that will not only serve as focal points but will also provide an artistic element to these spaces.

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, sturdy, stable, and suitable for the climate conditions, resistant to UV damage, and safe for public interaction.

SELECTION PROCESS

An Art Selection Committee (the Committee) may include (but is not limited to) representatives from the Louisiana Office of Facility Planning & Control, the architectural firm that designed the facility, representatives from LSMSA, and the State Arts Council. The Committee will review all eligible artist submissions. 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.

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 proposal and/or maquette may be exhibited for Committee and community consideration.

An honorarium/proposal fee of up to $2,000 will be paid to finalists to offset expenses associated with development of proposals and travel.

SELECTION CRITERIA
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.

WHAT TO SUBMIT

1. 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. (Compiled into one document)
2. Letter of Interest & Artist Statement
3. 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.
4. 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, and location. 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.

HOW TO SUBMIT

Submit online only through the CaFE system.

The CAFE system will remain open until 10:59 PM CT on September 5, 2020 however, staff will only be available for assistance until 5:00 PM CT (weekends and holidays may affect this time). Applicants are encouraged to apply early to reduce risk of technical difficulties. Incomplete or late submssions will NOT be accepted for any reason.

QUESTIONS? Email sfinch@crt.la.gov