Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind, Jones and Palmer Halls: Public Art Request for Qualifications

Qualifications are requested from artists and/or artist teams interested in creating site-specific, exterior public artwork(s) for the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The Art Selection Committee is commissioning an outdoor artwork or series of artworks for the exterior of Jones and Palmer Halls. Opportunities for exterior artwork locations include the new plaza area outside Jones Hall and the new exterior gathering area outside Palmer Hall. Jones Hall, built in 1913, is a three-story masonry building that will consolidate the Colorado Instructional Materials Collection, which provides braille and large print textbooks and instructional products to students who are blind/visually impaired statewide. Palmer Hall will house the "Bridges to Life" program, which serves students ages 18-21 who are deaf/hard of hearing and blind/visually impaired, with a focus on education, employment, and independence. The renovation includes a new plaza, exterior gathering area, residential apartments, instructional kitchen, and multi-purpose common areas.

CSDB would like artwork that addresses the school's forward-thinking mentality and that its community is moving forward into the new century. Due to the school's unique population, CSDB is interested in how artists can creatively address the school's community with accessible artwork. Options include large sculptures that are highly visible and tactile, as well as light, water, sound, and kinetic pieces. The Selection Committee will consider artistic excellence, accessibility, conceptual and thematic compatibility, technical competence, scale, material, form and content, resistance to wear and vandalism, and ease of maintenance.

Budget: $94,000 for all costs including artist design fee, structural engineering, insurance, materials, fabrication, transportation, installation, and project documentation. Selected semi-finalists will be invited to propose artwork and will receive an honorarium: $1,500 for out-of-state semi-finalists and $1,000 for in-state semi-finalists.

Applicants must be legal residents of the United States with skills and experience commensurate with completing a major public art installation. The Program is open to all artists regardless of race, color, creed, gender, gender variance, national origin, age, religion, marital status, political opinion or affiliation, or mental or physical handicap. The Art Selection Committee reserves the right to give preference to artists residing in Colorado.

Submit 4-8 digital images of previously completed artworks, up to 1 video file, a current résumé, and a statement of interest (500 words or less) through the CaFÉ system at www.callforentry.org. There is no application fee. Selection schedule: December 18, 2017 - Deadline for submittal; January 2018 - Selection panel meets to select semi-finalists; January/February 2018 - Notification of semi-finalist selection; April/May 2018 - Semi-finalist proposal presentations.

For more information, contact Ruth Bruno, Public Art Program Manager, Colorado Creative Industries at 303-892-3813 or [email protected].