Call for Artists: Public Art Commission for Rhode Island College Horace Mann Hall

The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts and Rhode Island College will commission artwork for the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development, Horace Mann Hall, located at 600 Mount Pleasant Avenue, Providence. Two separate artworks will be commissioned: an exterior artwork with a budget of $100,000 and an interior artwork or artworks with a budget of $35,000. The exterior commission is open nationally, while the interior commission is reserved for Rhode Island artists only. This call is open to all professional artists; those currently enrolled in undergraduate or secondary-level programs are not eligible to apply.

For the exterior commission, artwork might serve as a gateway piece, create a gathering space or focal point, be sited on the patio outside the front entrance or at the Southwest corner facing College Road, be lit for visibility at night and during the day, or create a connection with the dichroic glass facade. The interior commission might enliven community spaces on the first, second and/or third floors, create a welcoming atmosphere, increase collaborative space and sense of community, or consist of a series of works uniting various spaces and floors or a single large work. Both works might evoke learning, play, childhood, knowledge, intellectual growth, or teaching; be celebratory, welcoming, and inclusive; reflect Rhode Island College's diversity or its central geographic urban location; or reflect the goals and values of the college's public art master plan. Projects that engage, employ, or share skills with Rhode Island College students are welcome but not required. Both budgets are all-inclusive, including artist's fees, materials, fabrication, engineer fees, insurance, permits, installation, lighting, wiring, support, and bases.

Applications must be submitted via CaFÉ (www.callforentry.org) and include six images representing work completed within the past ten years and a written statement, narrative, or resume describing the applicant's relevant experience and connection to or interest in the project. There is no charge to apply or submit digital images. Three finalists for each project will be selected from the initial applicants and invited to craft a detailed site-specific proposal with a stipend provided for this stage.