Gateway Sculpture Commission for the University of Hawaii, Hilo

The Hawai'i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts seeks to commission a Gateway Sculpture for the University of Hawai'i, Hilo campus. The project budget is $250,000, paid directly to the artist in five phases over an estimated two-year period (August 2009-June 2012).

Eligibility: Open to professional, practicing artists with previous public art experience. Selection criteria include artistic merit as evidenced by digital representation of past work, appropriateness of the artist's medium and style to the project goals, experience with projects of similar scale and scope, and demonstrated ability to respond to the site and community characteristics.

The sculpture will serve as a landmark on West Kawili Street at the main campus entrance. It is recommended to stand approximately twenty feet tall and be visible from West Kawili Street. The artwork should be durable and long-lasting, considering the extreme environment. Suitable materials include metal, stone, glass, and concrete. The work should be in scale with other elements in the view plane, including the new classroom building and trees, and consider its relationship to the planned China-U.S. Center across the street. An education component is required, with students involved in the project through lectures by the artist and educational engagement. Applicants must submit 10 digital images of past work. Application deadline: April 23, 2009. Tentative schedule includes adjudication on April 30, artist interviews May 1-8, and recommendation on May 21, 2009.