Fort Lewis College Health Sciences Center - Public Art Request for Qualifications

Fort Lewis College seeks qualifications from artists and artist teams interested in creating site-specific public artwork(s) for the Health Sciences Center at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. The Health Sciences Center is an addition to Whalen Gymnasium comprising 42,000 square feet of new classrooms, lab space, study areas, and offices for the Health Sciences department, which includes Exercise Physiology, Exercise & Health Promotion, Nutrition Science, Public Health, Sports Administration, and Coaching.

The Art Selection Committee is open to considering both interior and exterior artworks. Interior opportunities include a two-story stairwell located off the secondary entrance. Exterior sites include a large stone veneer wall on the quad-facing side of the building and a free-standing artwork location in a turfed area. All possible art locations are along the northern edge of the campus quad and will be experienced daily by students, faculty, staff, and visitors. The committee is interested in artwork that considers the campus demographics and FLC community goals, as well as the uses and areas of study within the Health Sciences Center. Selection criteria include artistic excellence, technical competence, conceptual compatibility, resistance to wear and vandalism, ease of maintenance, ability to withstand intense sun, snow, wind, and temperature extremes, and contribution to diversity of the State's public art collection.

The public art budget is $193,000, covering all costs including artist design fee, structural engineering, insurance, materials, fabrication, transportation, installation, and project documentation. Semi-finalists will be invited to propose artwork and will receive an honorarium of $1,000 for in-state artists and $1,500 for out-of-state artists. Applicants must submit 6-8 digital images. The selection schedule includes a January 7, 2022 deadline, semi-finalist selection in January/February 2022, artist presentations in February/March 2022, artist selection and contracting in March/April 2022, and estimated installation in Spring 2023. All artwork will be owned by the State of Colorado via Fort Lewis College.