URI College of Engineering Public Art Commission

The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts seeks artists for a public art commission at the University of Rhode Island College of Engineering's new 190,000-square-foot facility in Kingston, Rhode Island. The project budget is $430,000.

The College of Engineering educates approximately 1,600 undergraduate and 200 graduate students. The new building is designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation and represents the largest construction project in the University's history, with completion projected for summer 2019. Potential artwork sites include the south porch exterior or 3-story atrium, planters on the north side, interior lanterns on both north and south sides, and lower level atrium gallery space. Commissions can be either 2D or 3D work in all media. Effective public art could create placemaking or way-finding elements and reference the mission of the College of Engineering or the field of engineering as a whole.

This is a Request for Qualifications (RFQ), the first step in the selection process. Artists should submit six digital images of relevant artwork completed within the past five years and current resumes via CaFÉ. The application deadline is June 30, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. EST. Selected finalists will be paid an honorarium of $10,000 to develop detailed proposals including scale models, renderings, and itemized budgets. The honorarium covers all travel expenses for site visits and presentations. The artist's design process must include URI community representatives and be responsive to their input. The final commissioned work must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and demonstrate durability and sustainability. Artists must carry a $1,000,000 insurance policy. The scope includes all labor, drawings, permitting, equipment, supervision, testing services, and an engineer's stamp required before fabrication.