Durham County South Regional Library Public Art Opportunity

The Durham County Library invites artists residing in North Carolina to submit qualifications for a public art opportunity at the new Durham County South Regional Library. The art budget for this project is approximately $80,000.

The new South Regional Library is located at South Alston Avenue and NC Highway 54 in Durham, NC. The project site is approximately four acres, with the new library building comprising 25,000 square feet. The design incorporates bricks from the original Lowe's Grove School building that previously occupied the site. A generous benefactor has donated funds for public art to be integral to the new building and to celebrate the benefactor's interest in children's learning and reading. The art will be sited outside the building envelope, primarily adjacent to the Children's Area on the west side of the building, near an expansive 20-foot high glass façade and a roofline extending over a hardscape plaza of approximately 75 x 30 feet with seating elements and landscape plantings. Works of art that are interactive and appeal to the senses are encouraged, as are ideas related to sound, listening, and speech. The building will be LEED certified at the Silver Level, and all art must be either LEED neutral or contribute to a higher level of LEED certification.

Eligibility: Artists must be year-round residents of North Carolina for at least one year prior to the application deadline, be over 18 years of age, may not be enrolled in a degree or certificate program in their art form at the time of application or during the project, and must remain a North Carolina resident for the duration of the project. Application materials must include a Statement of Interest (5000 characters maximum), resume, six images of completed projects with an annotated image list, and three professional references. The selected artist will work with the architect, landscape architect, and general contractor regarding site, scale, materials, and location. The project schedule includes concept design completion by July 2009, schematic design and design development by October 2009, construction documents and fabrication by January 2010, and installation in March 2010.