Rutgers University Newark Life Sciences Center II Public Art Commission

Rutgers University – Newark and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts are soliciting proposals from adult visual artists for a public art commission at the Life Sciences Center II project. The selected artist will design, fabricate, and install artwork on the West entry exterior plaza egress stair cast-in-place concrete wall of the building addition located at 225 University Avenue in Newark, NJ.

The proposed artwork is part of the New Jersey Arts Inclusion Program, which requires up to 1.5% of state-financed construction budgets be set aside for publicly accessible art. The Art Selection Committee envisions a mural or other surface enhancement that draws upon thematic material related to the sciences housed in the facility. Materials must be durable, low maintenance, resistant to vandalism, and coordinate well with the building's material palette and exterior plaza. The project budget is $13,500, which covers all costs including design, fabrication, materials, transportation, and installation.

Eligibility: Artists must be at least 18 years old and legally able to contract with Rutgers University. Artists must be permanent residents of New Jersey or live within 100 miles of the state border, with verifiable experience undertaking a public art contract with a budget of at least $10,000. Preference will be given to artists with a strong connection to Newark. Submissions must include a letter of interest, resume, 4-6 images of previous public art installations, and at least 3 references (noting which can verify previous contract work of $10,000+). Three finalists will be selected and each will receive a stipend not to exceed $500 to prepare project-specific presentations. The selected artist will be notified by October 1, 2021.