Colorado State University Chemistry Building and Science Quad Public Art Request for Qualifications

Colorado State University seeks qualifications from artists and artist teams interested in creating site-specific exterior public artwork or a series of artworks for the new Chemistry Building and Science Quad. The public art budget is $284,000, covering all costs including artist design fee, structural engineering, insurance, materials, fabrication, transportation, installation, and project documentation.

The Chemistry Building is a new 60,000 GSF state-of-the-art research facility located along the south side of Pitkin Street, part of the science mall gateway to campus. The science quad will feature braided pathways inspired by DNA molecules and will be one of the few green quads on campus with high foot traffic. Opportunities for artwork include the exterior grass area to the north of the building along Pitkin Street and the south side in the science mall area. The Art Selection Committee is interested in artwork that operates on campus scale and activates the green space. The committee is open to single large-scale artworks or multiple artworks in a series, and welcomes works incorporating technology, kinetic elements, and electrical components. Artwork should engage with the science quad as a whole and the entirety of CSU's Natural Sciences programs, with preference for work that can engage within a space with multiple buildings up to 4 stories. Construction begins April 2017, with exterior site work in March-May 2017.

The Selection Committee will evaluate artistic excellence, technical competence, conceptual compatibility, scale, material, form and content, appropriate relationship to site and campus function, structural integrity, resistance to wear and vandalism, maintenance requirements, and ability to withstand Colorado's climate extremes. All applicants must be legal U.S. residents with skills and experience commensurate with completing a major public art installation. Semi-finalists will be invited to prepare and present final proposals and receive an honorarium of $1,000 for in-state artists and $1,500 for out-of-state artists. Applications require six digital images of previously completed artworks, a resume, and a statement of interest of 250 words or less. There is no application fee. Deadline for submission is November 7, 2016 at 11:59 p.m. MST via the CaFÉ online platform.