Chapel Hill Public Library Public Art Commission

The Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission (CHPAC) seeks qualifications from artists and/or artist teams to create public artwork(s) for the Expansion of the Chapel Hill Public Library in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The opportunity is open to all artists and artist teams working in any media, with team composition allowed across multiple disciplines. The public art budget for the Library is $162,300 and $15,000 for design of elements within Pritchard Park, the 32-acre public park in which the library is located.

The Chapel Hill Public Library, built in 1994, currently contains 28,000 square feet and serves 300,000 people annually. The proposed expansion will add an additional 45,000 square feet. Artists are invited to explore creative opportunities within the interior building envelope, on the exterior, adjacent to the building including the entrance drive and outside reading rooms, and throughout Pritchard Park. The Artist Selection Committee is particularly interested in works that emphasize place-making, as well as art that is interactive, experiential, intellectually challenging, fun, and intriguing. Selected artist(s) will be expected to collaborate with the architectural and landscape design team throughout the project, beginning at schematic design.

Applications must be submitted digitally through CaFE and include: eight digital images of relevant work, artist resume(s), a letter of interest not exceeding 4,000 characters explaining the artist's or team's interest and experience creating works in multiple scales, and three professional references with complete contact information. The deadline for applications is July 7, 2006. An Artist Recommendation Committee will create a short-list of 8-15 artists, which will then be reviewed by an Artist Selection Committee. Finalists will be invited to Chapel Hill for interviews in August 2006, with the project awarded in September 2006.