Alaska State Council on the Arts: UAA Valley Center for Arts & Learning Public Art Commission

The Alaska State Council on the Arts on behalf of the University of Alaska Anchorage is requesting qualifications from Alaska artists for exterior or interior public artwork to be commissioned for the new Valley Center for Arts and Learning (VCAL) located at the UAA Matanuska-Susitna Campus (MSC) in Palmer, Alaska. This RFQ is open to all professional visual artists who are Alaska residents. Applications from architects, landscape architects or other design professionals will not be considered unless the design is led by a visual artist.

The total art budget is $80,000 USD to commission interior or exterior artworks. Selected artists' budgets will include all costs of design, engineering, fabrication, installation, artwork transportation, special handling fees, special lighting (if any), photographic documentation, liability and automobile insurance, and an identifying plaque made to UAA standards and specifications. State laws related to public construction, including licensing, insurance, bonding, and payment of prevailing wage rates, may apply. Up to five finalists may be selected for each location. Finalists invited to propose may be interviewed, provided with plans and paid to develop detailed design proposals. Finalists may be considered for more than one location and/or site. The UAA Art Selection Committee will choose the final sites and the best possible artwork for each site. Installation dates for commissioned artworks are prior to October 2015.

Artwork should address the following themes: relate to the interchangeable vantage points of spectator and performer, be whimsical and engaging, intelligent and evoke transformative thought, and provide an opportunity to discover a change or transformation or see something ordinary in a new way by engaging with or viewing the artwork. Two sites are available: Site 1 is exterior where sculpture is preferable, and Site 2 is interior lobby where suspended artwork is preferable with a ceiling height of 20'-0". The installed artwork must be permanent and designed to last the life of the building. Artwork must be compatible with typical climate conditions where snow accumulates from October through March and must be designed so that snow removal does not require special equipment. Viewers may touch the artwork if installed in an accessible location, therefore artwork must endure substantial public use. Routine maintenance and display considerations must be minimal.

Applications must include a one-page letter of interest describing your approach to public art, connection to project themes, why your medium would work with the building, and how your work is priced or budget range of past work. Ten digital images of past work created in the past 10-15 years must be uploaded to Call for Entry. Deadline for entries is October 30, 2014 before 9:59 p.m. Applications will be accepted online only through CaFÉ at www.callforentry.org.