Cathedral High School, a premier Catholic high school in the Holy Cross tradition located in Indianapolis, Indiana, seeks an artist to execute an indoor artwork for a feature wall in its new Innovation Center. The artwork will be inspired by the Innovation Center’s mission of providing facilities to enhance STEM education at the school, and will strike a balance between Cathedral’s rich century-old history, Holy Cross core values, and the most up-to-date scientific exploration.

BUDGET: $25,000 – $35,000, all-inclusive (artist fee, materials, fabrication costs, installation costs, shipping, travel expenses, special lighting beyond what is necessary for general building lighting, signage, and architectural accommodations for the artwork)

ELIGIBILITY: Professional artists over 18 at the time of application

DEADLINE: October 18, 2020

About Cathedral High School
Cathedral, a premier Catholic high school in the Holy Cross tradition, transforms the hearts and minds of a diverse group of students to have the competence to see and the courage to act. Their vision is to be the Catholic high school of the future, providing the best possible education for the individual student with a firm foundation in Holy Cross values. They draw on a history of excellence that stretches back to their founding in 1918. But they’re just as proud to be on the forefront of education advances today, with ongoing emphasis on next-generation learning techniques. Our values run deep — there are only 15 Holy Cross high schools in the country – and each one shares and passes down the practice and philosophy of educating and developing the whole person.

Cathedral’s place in the Indianapolis community is one of honor and service. Their graduates number among some of the most accomplished business, community, government, and religious leaders in the state and country. Their legacy of educating not just the mind, but the heart and spirit is perhaps their greatest asset, and they’re honored to champion inclusion as one of the most diverse schools in central Indiana. All of which combine to shape students who go on to achieve things they might never have thought possible — and to actively participate in the state’s largest and liveliest alumni network. They look ahead proudly to the next century of helping our students achieve greatness.

Holy Cross Core Values
As a Catholic school in the Holy Cross tradition, Cathedral embraces and fosters these values based on the writings of Blessed Basil Moreau:

• Divine Providence
• Option for the Poor
• Excellence
• Educating Hearts and Minds
• Family
• Hope
• Inclusiveness and Diversity
• Integrity
• Zeal

About the Innovation Center
The new Innovation Center at Cathedral, currently under construction and expected to be completed in August 2021, expands our school’s ability to provide a high-quality education in STEM (science, technology, education, and math) subjects. Facilities include a new grand entrance, physics, engineering, chemistry and biology labs, computer programming, and collaborative learning spaces. The Innovation Center will also house a new dining hall and Spirit Shop.

Site Information
The Feature Wall, which is to house the artwork, measures 22 ft. h. X 17 ft 8 in. w. and is located on axis with the entrance to the school building. The Feature Wall also has visibility from a 2nd-level walkway that joins the Innovation Center to the rest of the main school building. It is located in a flexible, furnished space that is intended for multiple uses, from small-group learning opportunities during the school day, to parent and visitor conferences with administrators, to formal and informal evening events for the school and community.

The wall construction consists of metal framing with a plywood backing and a painted drywall surface. The lighting design consists of two fixtures that would provide most of the lighting at this wall. They are the G1 and D8 fixtures circled in this diagram. The G1 is a recessed rectangular light that will mostly wash the column it’s next to, and the D8 is a recessed round canned light in the bulkhead. There will be lighting directed onto the wall as needed, based on the final artwork design. Electricity can be made available through the wall if needed, to accommodate the artwork.

Artwork Goals
The goal of the artwork on the Feature Wall is to draw visitors into the building and provide a signature element for the Innovation Center, as well as serve as a focal point for events and other activities in the space. The artwork’s form, content, and theme should strike a balance between Cathedral’s rich century-old history, Holy Cross core values, and the most up-to-date scientific exploration taking place in the Innovation Center. The artist may take inspiration from scientific principles, from the Catholic faith, or from an aesthetic that incorporates both.

• The artwork may be painted on or attached to the wall.
• Attached artwork can be a single element or a series of elements.
• Attached artwork should not project so far into the space that precludes use of the space for activities.
• Physical interaction with the artwork is NOT desirable; it should not require touching or manipulating in order to be effective.
• The artwork should be able to be easily maintained through regular cleaning procedures by non-specialized staff.

Project Timeline

• Announce Request for Qualifications: September 21, 2020
• Artist Qualifications Due: October 18
• Jury Panel review: October 19-27
• Finalist Notification: by October 30
• Finalist Proposal Design Period: November 2-December 13
• Commission Notification: January 4, 2021
• Final Design and Construction Coordination: January 5-31
• Notice to Proceed on Fabrication: early February
• Earliest Access to Space: July 2021
• Building Grand Opening: August 2021
• Artwork Installation: TBD before August 31, 2021

Selection Process
Interested artists may submit their qualifications (see below under What to Submit for details) no later than October 18, 2020. Qualifications will be reviewed by a conflict-free selection panel composed of Cathedral staff, Cathedral community members, and art experts from the greater Indianapolis area. Up to three finalist artists will be identified and compensated $750 each to create a design proposal. The proposal will include a concept narrative, a discussion of the materials and fabrication method, sketches and/or renderings of the proposed artwork (including overall views and key details), a measured diagram of the desired installation layout, a detailed project budget, and a description of the anticipated maintenance required. After presentation and review of the proposals to the selection panel, one artist/team will be selected for commissioning. Finalists will be subject to a criminal background check.

Selection Criteria
The following criteria will be used to identify finalist artists:

• A complete and on-time submission of a qualifications package
• A record of exemplary approaches to site and design challenges
• An artistic approach and aesthetic that are desirable for the Innovation Center and the Cathedral campus
• The likelihood of an on-time and on-budget project completion
• The likelihood of a smooth and pleasant working relationship

What to Submit

1. Artist Information: Completion of an application form with artist contact information
2. Artistic History: Resume, CV, or narrative biography outlining the artist’s history and record of commissions or other projects
3. Work Samples: Images or videos (as applicable for kinetic or light-based work) of work executed in the past ten years, focusing on commissioned or public work and/or the aesthetic intended for this
   commission. Submit at least three examples and no more than 20 examples.
4. Work Sample Narrative: Brief descriptions of the projects submitted as work samples, including the artwork title, date created, medium, dimensions, client or site name, commission value or sale price,
   and a short narrative describing the design challenge and how the artwork addressed that challenge.
5. References: At least three and up to five names and full contact information (phone number, email, and mailing address) of individuals who can provide details about the artist’s skill, working method, and
   past performance. Preferred references are past clients for commissioned artwork.
6. (optional) Supplementary information: As desired, documentation such as media articles, exhibition reviews, blog posts, etc. that provide additional insight into the artist and the work. Artists electing not
   to provide this information will not be penalized.
7. (optional) Demographic profile: As desired, completion of a survey to provide demographic information on the applicant artist/team. Artists electing not to provide some or any of this information will not
   be penalized.

How to Submit
Submit information online here.

QUESTIONS? Contact Gara Schommer at gschommer@gocathedral.com or 317-968-7399.