The Texas Tech University System seeks to commission a professional artist to create site-specific exterior sculpture(s) to be placed outside the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ Theatre and Dance Complex, located at the Texas Tech University campus in Lubbock, TX. Construction of the facility’s addition will be completed by December 2018.

Budget: $220,000 for a completed artwork.  Finalists will receive a maximum of $2000 to prepare a Design Proposal and a model.

Eligibility:  All professional artists are eligible to submit their qualifications. Artists are allowed to apply in teams.  Artists applying as a team must split the allotted number of work examples between themselves.

Project Overview

The Theatre and Dance Complex will greatly increase the College’s ability to reach out to students, as well as offer a top-class facility for classes and performances. The existing Charles E. Maedgen Theatre, built in 1964, houses faculty offices, classrooms, a black box theatre and a 400-seat proscenium theatre that has hosted over 170 University Theatre productions and many theatrical competitions. The 50,000 square foot Theatre and Dance Complex addition will include features such as a new lobby, updated black box theatre, classrooms, rehearsal spaces, green room, scene shop expansion, a CADD lab, and faculty/staff offices.

Site Description

The public art will serve to enhance and highlight the new entrance to the building. The current entrance will still be prominent; however, the public art at this location should attract visitors more directly to the new entrance and welcome them to the theatre.

Artwork Description

Artists should be open to creating a design that speaks to the artistic expressions that will take place within this building, as well as welcome visitors to their experience in the Maedgen Theatre. Public art that represents metaphorically the act of theatre is preferred. This piece should imply movement or a kinetic element, and be interpretive and abstract. The sculpture should have a light and airy feel. Ideal designs should incorporate light into the piece, as many visitors will be here during both the day and night. This piece should be outdoors and available to the community, as well as integrated into the environment. Water features are highly discouraged, but the selected artist will have an opportunity to collaborate with landscape architects for the project.  Safety is imperative; durable, low-maintenance materials are recommended to withstand West Texas’ intense weather conditions.  Objects that are mass-produced or of standard manufacture are not eligible for consideration.

Timeline

• Post RFQ: May 8, 2017
• Written Inquiries must be received by: May 22, 2017
• Responses to Inquiries: May 24, 2017
• Artist Submission due: 3:00 PM, CDT, June 15, 2017
• Finalist(s) selected and notified: June/July 2017
• Finalist(s) design Presentations: October 2017
• Commission awarded: TBD
• Project Completion: December 2018

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 not to exceed $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.

Selection Criteria

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, as well as budgets that the artist has worked with.
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.

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 not to exceed $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.

Application Requirements

• Resume: 2 page(s) maximum
• Work examples: 5 – 15
  • Image dimensions: 1200 x 1200 pixels
  • Video dimensions: 720 x 480 (width x height) pixels in formats (MOV,MP4,WMV)
• 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 Theatre and Dance Complex. Specifically, please address your thoughts on location and medium and, if applicable, discuss any projects for which you used a similar approach (limit to 500 words).
• References: 3

How to Apply

Please see the full RFQ and image attachments at: http://esbd.cpa.state.tx.us/bid_show.cfm?bidid=139787

Apply online here: http://www.publicartist.org/call.cfm?id=1415   Do not apply via land mail or email.

QUESTIONS?

Emily Wilkinson, Director of Public Art
Box 42014, Lubbock Texas 79409 United States
emily.wilkinson@ttu.edu     8067422116