Public Art Sought for Louisiana State University

Louisiana State University seeks qualifications form artists interested in creating new, commissioned artwork.  Located at the French House, a landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this project will serve as a beacon and a gathering place at the entryway to the Honors College. The project should be consistent with the college's vision, values, and mission to engage a diverse populations of high achieving students in a dynamic interaction of outstanding instruction, innovative research and public service.

Budget: $125,000
Eligibility: Artists over 18 with at least 5 years professional visual art experience
Deadline: 11/01/2019 10:59 PM Central Time

Site History
The Ogden Honors College at LSU is one of the few honors institutions in the country that can boast a complete Honors Campus. The 10-acre "campus within a campus" is a unique space located at the heart of LSU's main campus. The residential college community thrives in an enviornment that combines historic architecture, cultural significance, and modern renovation. Honors students live, study, and socialize within this vibrant residential college community - all at the center of LSU.

The concept for the Ogden Honors College Campus is based on a model established by Oxford and Cambridge Universities more than 700 years ago - one in which students live together and take part in educational and social programming within that living space.

Project Description
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.

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.

Artwork Goals
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.

Timeline
Notifications will be issued no later than January 2020

Selection Process
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.

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

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.

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

Application materials must be received by November 1, 2019 at 10:59PM CT via the Call for Entry (CAFE) system. Items required include:

1. Resume/CV: Chronological resume demonstrating a minimum of five years of professional visual art experience (NOT STUDENT WORK). If submitting as a team, a current resume should be submitted for each team member. (Four pages max per team member).
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 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 un-executed conceptual projects will not be considered and may disqualify your submission. Examples of work submitted must be original, recently completed artwork (within the last 10 years).

How to Submit

Submit ONLINE ONLY via the CaFE system.

QUESTIONS?  Contact sfinch@crt.la.gov