URI Public Art Selection - Lippitt Hall

The University of Rhode Island is seeking artists or art teams for a public art commission at Lippitt Hall, a historic building on the URI campus in Kingston, Rhode Island. Lippitt Hall, built in 1897 as a drill hall and armory, is undergoing rehabilitation and will house mathematics and honors department offices and classrooms. The building is located on the northern boundary of the University's main quadrangle and is expected to serve approximately 14,000 students per semester on the first floor alone, with 20,000 people viewing the building during annual commencement ceremonies.

This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is the first step in the URI public art selection process. Artists should submit six digital images of current work completed within the past five years, resumes, and a brief written statement (not exceeding 2000 characters) describing their preliminary concept for site-specific public art at Lippitt Hall, along with a rough outline of expenses totaling no more than $65,000. Applications must be submitted through CaFÉ (www.callforentry.org) by May 1, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. MST. There is no charge to apply. The selection panel will review submissions to assess the quality and appropriateness of the artist's work, interest in their proposal idea, and ability to carry out a substantial public art commission. Three to five finalists will be selected to develop detailed proposals including itemized budgets, scale models, renderings, and in-depth project descriptions. The selection panel, composed of a URI representative, community representative, two artists selected by the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, and the project architect, will consider how artwork connects to the Quadrangle and aligns with the University's Master Plan.