LSMSA (Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts)

The Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA) is seeking artists to create two permanent public art installations for its new living/learning community on campus at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, adjacent to the Kisatchie National Forest.

Piece #1 is a large-scale, site-specific exterior work honoring Caroline Dormon, a pioneering Louisiana conservationist. This piece will serve as a centerpiece to the newly constructed outdoor area, which includes seating, walkways, lighting, and landscaping, intended as a social and learning space for students and the community. Piece #2 is an interior lobby installation in the main living learning center, featuring a vaulted ceiling and glass walls. Artists may submit either hung or freestanding work. Both pieces should celebrate and represent Caroline Dormon and the educational disciplines at LSMSA, including visual arts, humanities, life sciences, and advocacy for local Native American communities and cultures. LSMSA is open to a wide variety of artist styles, including traditional statuary and contemporary art.

This commission is open to professional artists 18 and over with a minimum of five years of demonstrated professional visual art experience. Artist teams may apply with one designated lead contact. The project budget is $260,000, inclusive of all costs including research, consultations, materials, fabrication, transportation, installation, and documentation. Submissions must include a chronological resume, letter of interest and artist statement, three professional references, and six images of original completed commissions (not proposals, sketches, or 3-D models). Images must be JPG or PNG format, maximum 5MB per image, 30MB total, and include title, medium, dimensions, project budget, year completed, and location. Finalists will be invited to a mandatory site visit and optional in-person presentation, and will receive an honorarium of up to $2,000 to offset proposal development and travel expenses. Notifications will be issued no later than November 2020.