Univ. of Illinois Seeks Public Art for Dining Facility

The Art in Architecture (AIA) Program of the University of Illinois Facilities & Services is pleased to announce a Request for Proposals (RFP) to recognized professional artists, artisans, or artist-led teams, to create permanent original public artwork for the interior of the new Illinois Street Residence Dining Facility “Main Street” area.

Budget: $240,000
Eligibility: Professional artists, artisans or artist-led teams currently residing and legally permitted to work the United States, who are not currently University faculty or fine art students
Deadline: 05/24/2018 2:00 PM Central Time

Full information and site plans located at http://www.procure.stateuniv.state.il.us   The identification number is 1RMJ1903. The RFP title is “Furnish and Install Interior Public Art at Illinois Street Residence Dining Facility.” Please note that applications must include a rendering of the proposed artwork.  Applicants are not compensated to produce the design.

This call seeks artwork proposals for the Illinois Street Residence Dining Facility in Urbana, Illinois. Construction is scheduled to start in late spring of 2018 and complete in the summer of 2020. We anticipate that the installation of the artwork will occur in the spring of 2020.

PROJECT SUMMARY 
The proposed renovation and addition of the dining facility at the Illinois Street Residence will be approximately 106,000 gsf (includes 35,610 gsf addition). The renovation and addition will replace the existing dining facility and is intended to serve the 1,179 resident students plus the projected number of visitors. The total capacity of the new dining hall will make it one of the largest student dining facilities on campus. It is conveniently located near the Engineering Quad – North Campus and the Main Quad. The Illinois Street Residence Dining Facility will also provide facilities for meetings, conferences, group study, student recreation, an innovation lab and a library. Seminar rooms will be used for mid-sized group meetings workshops, instructional sessions, breakout sessions and for-credit classes.

PROJECT SITE
The artwork will be located indoors in public areas of the lower floor. Final placement of the artwork will be decided by the committee and, where appropriate, in consultation with the artist. The space is open to the first floor dining space above and has a series of skylights above these openings. The Main Street area is intended to be a gathering space for students and will likely be occupied from 7:00 am through 12:00 midnight. This will be the main thoroughfare through the building and will have seating for students as well as other activities. In addition, this space will be included on Campus tours for potential students considering enrolling in the University. The piece(s) will be focused or mounted on the east wall.

Artist Theme: The artwork shall speak to the fact the building is located at the intersection between the engineering communities and the Humanities. The artwork shall speak to the fact that the building has become an international crossroads that connect student life to academics. The artwork shall speak to the inclusive philosophy embraced by our University that is reflected by our multicultural diversity of students.

SELECTION PROCESS 
Artists and/or artist-led teams may submit their work for consideration as defined below. The work of one or more artists will be selected from the pool of eligible artists or artist-led teams. The selection committee may select one or more artists or artists’ teams to attend discussion meetings with the selection committee. Following these meetings the committee will commission an artists or artist-led teams to produce the proposed artwork within the funding available to the program. The artist’s work that is selected will be announced through the Illinois Public Higher Education Procurement Bulletin.

SELECTION CRITERIA
The following criteria will be considered during the selection process:

• Aesthetic Excellence – The highest priority is the inherent aesthetic quality of the artwork and its compatibility and relationship with the site as well as the way the public is intended to respond and interact with the artwork.
• Relevance – Artwork must be appropriate for and sensitive to the chosen location including surrounding architecture, local history, and community attitudes and concerns.
• Placement – The requirement for the final placement of the artwork in a location accessible to the public may influence selection.
• Elements and Principles of Art and Design – The basic building blocks of all art media and all forms of visual art may be considered as long as they meet the definition of artwork for the Art in Architecture Program.
• Durability and Permanence – Resistance to theft, vandalism, and weathering, as well as structural sustainability and the potential for excessive maintenance must be considered as the work is intended to be permanent.
• Public Safety – The artwork must be safe for the intended public use.
• Technically Feasible – The artist must provide convincing evidence of his or her ability to successfully complete the artwork as proposed.

BUDGET DETAILS 
The budget to cover artwork shall not exceed $240,000. Submitted proposed artwork must fit within this budget. This budget covers all expenses associated with, but not limited to the design, labor, fabrication, project management, materials, tools, contracted services, operations and meetings, travel required to complete the artwork installation, installation of the artwork, permits, licenses, taxes, insurance, transportation and delivery of the artwork to the site.
Reinforced, structured attachment points will be provided for the artwork to connect to the wall if needed.

HOW TO APPLY
Artists and artist-led teams interested in the project should submit the required material as directed on the University of Illinois website listed above. The following material should be included in the submission:

• Images of the proposed artwork along with sizes of the artwork
• Artist Resume (if a team, one from each team member) with current contact information
• Artist Statement of intent (one page maximum)
• Professional references including contact information
• Additional information identified on the RFP

Mail materials to:
University of Illinois – Purchasing Furnish & Deliver Interior Public Art at ISR Dining Facility

Attn:  Ryan Johnson
212 Illini Plaza MC 602, 1817 S. Neil St
Champaign Illinois 61820

QUESTIONS?  Contact Ryan Johnson, mrjohnson@uillinois.edu