Rhode Island State Council on the Arts: DMV Forand Public Art Commission

Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Request for Qualifications for Public Art at the Department of Motor Vehicles Forand Building, Pastore Center, Cranston, RI. Budget: $88,000.

The Forand Building is a three-story, 69,000 square foot facility located in the Pastore Government Center. The building features a central atrium rising three floors with skylights, a 12-foot wide monumental stair of architectural grade steel and art glass, and bridges connecting east and west sides on the 2nd and 3rd floors bordered by stainless steel railings. Possible art installation sites include: the 1st floor atrium, wall liner in hallways on the first floor, and the outside entry and vestibule. The selection panel has expressed that commissioned work should not block natural light, should be an experience beyond "just an object," must accommodate children, be sustainable, safe, and extremely durable, and avoid elaborate maintenance requirements. No water installations will be considered. Sound installations will undergo scrupulous review and must be voluntary, located away from employees and customers, with a maximum duration of 60 to 90 seconds.

Submissions must include six digital images of relevant artwork completed within the past five years, a current resume for each artist, and a written statement not exceeding 3000 characters addressing the artist's preliminary concept for site-specific public art and proposed project budget. Three finalists will be selected and each awarded an honorarium of $2,500 to develop detailed proposals including itemized budgets, scale models, renderings, and in-depth project descriptions. All applications must be submitted through CaFÉ in digital format. Deadline: July 30, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. EST. Finalist site visits scheduled for September 2010, finalist presentations in October 2010, and final approval by RISCA Council in November 2010.