Texas Tech Seeks Artwork for Renovated Historic Building

Posted by Texas Tech University ; Posted on 
Public Art; Visual - DEADLINE :  
Texas Tech Seeks Artwork for Renovated Historic Building
    Email
/
    Website
/

   

   

  

The Texas Tech University System seeks to commission a professional artist to create site-specific exterior sculpture(s) to be placed outside the historic Weeks Hall, located at the Texas Tech University main campus entrance (2508 Broadway) in Lubbock, TX. Renovation of the facility will be completed by May 2020.

Budget: $236,000
Eligibility: Professional artists
Deadline: 12/20/2018 3:00 PM Central Time

Site History
Founded in 1923 as Texas Technological College, Texas Tech University has the distinction of being the largest comprehensive higher education institution in the western two-thirds of the state of Texas. Texas Tech’s campus boasts a strong tradition of Spanish Renaissance architecture, characterized by light-colored brick structures with stone accents and red tile roofs. More information about the architectural traditions of Texas Tech can be found at http://today.ttu.edu/2010/03/campus-architecture-history/ .

Weeks Hall was originally constructed in 1957 as a residence hall but has been vacant since 1991. The building will be renovated into office space for faculty, administration, and staff from various Texas Tech University departments. It is a three-story L shape structure of approximately 67,234 GSF and is listed on the Texas Historical Register. Departments that will utilize this building include:

  • Student Disability Services
  • College of Human Sciences: Human Development and Family Studies; Community & Family Addiction Sciences; Department of Design; Hospitality & Retail Management; Humanities
  • Army ROTC
  • Mathematics
  • University Writing Center
  • Graduate Writing Center
  • Graduate Center
  • Climate Sciences

Artwork Goals
Safety is imperative; durable, low-maintenance materials are recommended to withstand West Texas’ intense weather conditions. Weeks Hall is located at Texas Tech’s main entrance. The public art at this location has an opportunity to contribute significantly to the overall aesthetic on campus and could become a new icon for the university. See attachments for building and suggested public art location.

Ideal submissions can incorporate kinetic elements and/or the written word into the piece. This piece will be outdoors and available to the community. Water features are highly discouraged, but the selected artist will have an opportunity to collaborate with landscape architects for the project.

Among relevant concepts to consider are collaboration, inquiry, curiosity, inclusivity, and the history of the university. This facility will be home to many different departments, so public art needs to have a broad appeal. Any concepts that may be considered polemic or political should be avoided. Artists should attempt to create a design that speaks to the diversity of the departments that will utilize this building, as well as the students that attend Texas Tech University.

Public art near this location include “Riding into the Sunset” by Electra Waggoner Biggs and “Park Place” by Glenna Goodacre.

Finalists will develop a design concept that reflects the standards and culture of Texas Tech specific to the Weeks Hall Renovation, and will prepare presentation materials, drawings, a model, and related specifications in sufficient detail and in the format required to convey the design intent.

Timeline

  • Post RFQ: November 14, 2018
  • Written Inquiries must be received by: December 4, 2018
  • Responses to Inquiries: December 7, 2018
  • Artist Submission due by 3:00 PM, CST, December 20, 2018
  • Finalist(s) selected and notified: early January 2019
  • Finalist(s) design Presentations: late February 2019
  • Commission awarded: TBD
  • Project Completion: May 2020

Texas Tech reserves the right to modify this schedule as required.

Selection Process
Texas Tech will select the Artist that best meets the requirements, based on the information contained in their response to the Request for Qualifications, any reference checks conducted, and the information presented during any interviews conducted as part of the selection process. After evaluating the artists’ submissions, Texas Tech will narrow the pool of applicants to approximately two to five finalists to develop a design and model for presentation to the University Public Art Committee in Lubbock, Texas. Each finalist will be paid an honorarium of $2000 for the development of their Design Proposal and to facilitate travel for the presentation. The model will not be returned to the artist if they are selected. The Design Proposals will be subject to review and acceptance by Texas Tech University System’s University Public Art Committee, the President of Texas Tech University, and the Chancellor of the Texas Tech University System.

Selection Criteria
Specifically, in the selection of finalists, Texas Tech University System and its University Public Art Committee will review and consider the following:

  1. The conceptual basis for the Artist’s body of work as defined in the written statement.
  2. The quality – technical and aesthetic – of the artist’s past work as represented in the image submissions.
  3. The experience of the artist in successfully designing, fabricating, administering, and completing public art projects and/or custom architectural elements on time and in budget.
  4. The artist’s training and education.
  5. The quality and comprehensiveness of the submission package.

What to Submit

  • Required cover sheet
  • Resume: 2 page(s) maximum
  • Work examples: 5 - 15
  • Artist Statement: 500 word maximum
  • Letter of Interest: 500 word maximum:  Please describe your initial impressions of and projected approach to this public art project for the Weeks Hall Renovation. Specifically, please address your thoughts on location and medium and, if applicable, discuss any projects for which you used a similar approach (limit to 250-500 words).
  • References: 3
  • OPTIONAL:  Concept sketch (not required; applicants not submitting this will not be penalized)

How to Submit:  Send materials ONLINE ONLY through PublicArtist.org, https://www.publicartist.org/call.cfm?id=2094 

Additional Resources including full RFQ, site illustrations, and sample public art contract can be found at https://www.publicartist.org/call.cfm?id=2094

QUESTIONS?  Contact Emily Wilkinson, Director of Public Art, (806) 742-2116 or emily.wilkinson@ttu.edu

COMMENTS

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>