New Jersey State Council on the Arts for The College of New Jersey   

Expression of Interest: Sculpture Installation  

Note: All calls posted by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts are always free and open to any eligible artist. Before submitting an application, please review the eligibility requirements. Any applicant deemed ineligible will have their submission removed from consideration and will not be reviewed by the jury. 

On behalf of The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), the New Jersey State Council on the Arts is soliciting Expressions of Interest (EOI) from prospective artists to design, fabricate, and install artwork on Forcina/West quad on the TCNJ campus in Ewing, NJ. The proposed artwork is part of the New Jersey Public Arts Inclusion Program and is coordinated by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and The College of New Jersey. TCNJ has a number of outdoor public artworks on campus, including those featured here: https://tcnjartgallery.tcnj.edu/art-on-campus/ 

TCNJ is interested in a sculptural work(s) that is/are interactive or functional for use of the campus community in the quad between the Roscoe West Hall and Forcina Hall buildings. This could be several related pieces that could be a gathering place for groups of students, serve as seating, or in other ways encourage interaction and use of the space. The quad has some small hills and there is lawn and plantings planned after neighboring building construction is completed. Since several different education programs use the adjacent buildings (including technology, science, education and inclusion programs), the works should be inviting to all and non-specific to any one field of study.  

The ideal proposal will include materials with a natural surface/patina and low maintenance, and consist of multiple works that connect thematically, or one work that moves throughout the space and encourages those passing through to stop, sit, interact with or use the work in some way. The College expects the selected installation will enliven and activate the space, as well as contribute to a feeling of place in the intimate, small quad. 

At this time, artists are encouraged to review this entire Call for Artists for specifics, and if interested and qualified, submit examples of previous work that is pertinent to this project through the Call for Entry system. We are not seeking submissions of project proposals in this phase. The Art Selection Committee will carefully review all submissions, and select a shortlist of artists, who will then be contracted to prepare and submit full proposals through the College’s process.   

This Call for Artists seeks responses from artists who have experience in public art projects of similar scope and budget size, and who are willing and able to contract with The College of New Jersey. Artists who are selected for the Proposal phase will be required to follow the College of New Jersey’s process. Artists will be required to comply with TCNJ’s policies and procedures and submit all required forms, and certifications. Selected finalist artists will be supplied with the documents required by TCNJ.     

Project Details: 

This commission will entail design, fabrication, and installation of an outdoor sculpture or sculptures. 

The project budget is $220,000, all-inclusive for complete sculptural installation within the quad, which may include multiple pieces. The budget shall cover all costs incurred by the artist relating to the design of the artwork, revisions, any needed engineering, fabrication, transportation, and installation. Covered expenses include but shall not be limited to compensation for design and engineering services, materials, samples, transportation costs, fabrication, supplies, and installation at the location, contracting requirements for TCNJ payment process, required documentation and plaque/signage, permitting, special installation costs, etc.  

Three selected finalists each will receive a stipend of $2,000 for proposal preparation expenses.  

Additional details with elevated architectural drawings as well as a question-and-answer meeting will be provided to the selected finalists to help inform project proposals.  

Application Requirements

All applications must be submitted through www.callforentry.org (CAFE), a free website for artists to use. Artists must register and set up an account in CAFE, and upload images of their work to their CAFE account in order to submit to this call. Submissions will not be accepted or reviewed through any other means.    

Application Requirements:  

Interested parties are required to submit a portfolio of their past-completed work, as well as profile and contact information as outlined below. The Art Selection Committee will shortlist a group of artists to receive a formal request for proposals from the pool of applicants. 

Artists interested in participating in the project must use the CallForEntry.org web-based system to submit the following:  

A letter summarizing their interest in this project and experience in the creation of public artworks.   

A list of at least 3 references for similar projects (name, project name, contact information – phone number and e-mail address).  

Artist resume  

Photographs/images of examples of installations of public art, ideally similar projects or materials (minimum: 4, maximum: 6)  

Artist website links  

Materials submitted online will be reviewed by the Selection Committee. Materials will not be accepted in any other way except through the CallForEntry.org process. 

Final selections will be made based upon a variety of criteria, including average jury scores, the artist’s experience in similar projects, the appeal of the artist’s style and aesthetic for a college community, and other factors.      

Contract: 

Upon selection and final design approval, the artist must complete a contract with The College of New Jersey and will be required to comply with TCNJ’s policies and procedures and submit all required forms and certifications as referenced in the documents to be provided to finalists. All vendor policies and procedures are not within our agency’s authority to alter, artist finalists should carefully consider the process to ensure it will not pose an undue burden to them before responding to this call for artists. 

Contracts and more information about the College's process will be made available to finalists at the Q&A phase of the project. Interested artists are strongly encouraged to attend the Q&A session(s). 

Timeline:  

October 21, 2024 Call for Artists (RFQ/EOI) live on www.callforentry.org  

December 16, 2024 Call for Artists closes; late submissions will not be accepted 

January 2025 Jury open for at home review  

February 2025 Jury close of at home review  

End of February 2025 artists notified of the outcomes of the EOI Selected finalists are provided with a written RFP with details, drawings of the space, TCNJ’s procurement required forms, etc.  

March 2025: Questions from finalists due- questions to be submitted in writing to inform Q&A Meeting topics  

Early April 2025 Q&A Meeting for selected finalists  

Artists final proposal presentations- September 2025  

Notification of selected artist or artist team November 2025 

Anticipated installation of completed work Summer/August 2026  

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria 

Priority applicants: Individuals who self-identify as women and/or BIPOC artists are strongly encouraged to apply.  

All applicants must be regionally based residing no more than 150 miles from the New Jersey border.   

All applicants must be at least the age of 18 to be considered for this opportunity.   

Under N.J.S.A. 52:13D-19, employees of the State of New Jersey are not eligible to submit work for this procurement.   

Questions?   

Technical assistance using CAFÉ is available at:  https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/  

Please direct any other questions regarding this opportunity to Danielle Bursk, Director of Artist Services, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Danielle.bursk@sos.nj.gov, or Stephanie Nerbak, Artist Services Manager, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Stephanie.Nerbak@sos.nj.gov.