Rhode Island State Council on the Arts URI CCFS/CBLS Public Art Commission

Rhode Island State Council on the Arts is seeking qualifications from artists for a public art commission at the University of Rhode Island's new Center for Chemical and Forensic Sciences (CCFS) and Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences (CBLS) in the North Science District of the Kingston campus. Budget: $458,000.

The commissioned artwork should embody a sense of learning and education with relevance to the academic programs housed within these buildings. The panel seeks an aesthetic and intellectual work of art that is not simply decorative or figurative, and should reflect and enhance a sense of place. The work should help deepen student thinking, perhaps addressing the overlap of the sciences and their relationship to the human. A single commission will be awarded to one artist or artist team, though proposals for integrated installations on multiple sites within the collective boundaries of the buildings will be considered.

Proposed sites include: the north wall of Chafee Hall facing the podium, the second floor exterior podium near the east entrance to CCFS, the first floor lobbies of both CCFS and CBLS, an exterior piece or installation within the Rain Garden Quadrangle, or integrated theme artworks within both lobbies. The scope includes all materials, labor, installation, drawings, permitting, equipment, supervision, testing services, and artificial lighting. The work must comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act and be designed for durability and sustainability with minimal maintenance requirements. The selected artist will be asked to conduct conversations with students and science faculty to inform the work's concepts. This is a Request for Qualifications (RFQ), not a Request for Proposals—artists are not being asked to submit specific proposals at this stage.