Call Description

Rhode Island State Council on the Arts- Call for Artists

Regan Building, Eleanor Slater Hospital

Cranston, Rhode Island

Budget: $160,000.

Application Deadline: July 11, 2025

Eligibility: National

Artwork for the newly renovated Regan Unit of Eleanor Slater Hospital (ESH) will be commissioned by ESH and the Department of Capital Asset, Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) and the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) through Rhode Island’s Public Art Law, which mandates that 1% of all state capital construction and renovation funds be allocated to the purchase and maintenance of public art. Through this program, the State recognizes that “public art creates a more humane environment: one of distinction, enjoyment, and pride for all citizens.”

About Eleanor Slater Hospital and the Regan Unit

Eleanor Slater Hospital (ESH) is a public Long-Term Acute Care Hospital (LTACH) with campuses in Cranston and Burrillville. ESH is operated by the State of Rhode Island’s Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals (BHDDH). The hospital treats patients with acute and long-term medical illnesses, as well as patients with mental health conditions.

ESH provides a treatment environment in which dignity, individuality, and respect are emphasized.

In addition to diagnosis and treatment, the hospital focuses on issues of recovery and quality of living. We are dedicated to using a patient, family, and interdisciplinary-centered approach to our care.

Our focus is on recognizing each patient’s individuality and their right to dignified and high-quality care.

The Regan Unit is a psychiatric division of ESH. The building is undergoing a complete renovation for modernization and to meet anti-ligature standards. This involves designing spaces and selecting products to minimize the risk of self-harm. ESH serves psychiatric patients of all acuity levels. Every patient has a discharge plan, and some are transferred from the Roosevelt Benton Division to Regan as a step down in acuity level. 

People who use this facility include patients, family members, visitors, staff, and service providers and contractors.

Feedback from the selection panel

In April of 2025, the artwork selection panel met. Included on this panel is the architect, a representative of the building, a community member, and two professional artists. The panel toured the site and reviewed the design of the renovations. 

From this meeting, a series of artwork addressing the interior spaces in a cohesive, comprehensive fashion emerged as a goal. This Call seeks to commission an artist or artist team to provide, at minimum:

1. Artwork for the first-floor dining/community room (9' high x 38' wide).
2. Artwork for one of the third-floor conference/multi-purpose rooms (Approximately 9' high x 20' wide).
3. A series of wall-hung original artworks for the facility, with the intent that the imagery will also be reproduced in a durable appropriate material (vinyl wall covering or custom Acrovyn, for example) for each of the patient floor activity rooms, 7 activity rooms in total. The original artworks will be hung in the non-secure areas of the facility such as first floor entrance lobby, hallway and the lobby adjacent to the conference area. The artist will be responsible for sourcing and installing the wall coverings in consultation with the design team. The contract with the artist will include the right to reprint the wall coverings, if damaged or worn.
4. Design and production of at least one large-scale tree-themed commercial grade stencil, for use throughout the facility and to complement the artist's other artworks. The intent is to provide a visual transition and differentiation for those patients transferring from the Roosevelt Benton Center, whose patient units also feature a tree stencil.  The contract for this commission will include provision for Regan to use this design in their informational materials.

Other considerations:

• Safety of materials and techniques in this anti-ligature facility is of utmost priority.
• Artwork for the patients is prioritized.
• Artwork might be figurative or abstract. However, works should generally avoid the use of overly bright colors, graphics or geometrics.
• The work should be calming, peaceful, and soothing; feel homey or create a sense of the familiar.
• All works will be subject to clinical review for appropriateness and safety, and artist must be willing to make changes as required.
• This Call seeks 2-dimensional wall installed artworks or reproductions that can meet anti-ligature standards. Other artwork genres will not be considered.
• Artists who have previous experience working in healthcare or psychiatric facilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Estimated Timeline

June 13, 2025: Applications open.

July 11, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. (E.S.T.) Deadline for submissions

July/August TBD: Panel meeting for selection of finalists; notification to applicants. Finalist site visit.

August September TBD: Finalist presentations to selection panel. Artwork chosen and recommended to the Council. Final approval by RISCA Council. Contract signed and fabrication of artwork begins.

Artwork completion and installation, TBD.

According to law, the final recommendation of the selection panel will be presented the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, who has final approval of the commission.

Selected Finalists

Finalists will be invited to a site visit and to propose an artwork specifically for the Regan Building.  Finalists will craft a detailed proposal for a courtyard mural including an itemized budget, renderings, and timeline. For this they will each be paid a stipend of $3,000. This stipend is inclusive of all proposal expenses including travel, hotel, transportation, mileage, etc., as applicable for both the site visit and the subsequent presentation meeting. Finalists will not be reimbursed separately for travel costs.

Site-specific proposals should convey the artist’s ideas and plans through digital materials, designs, renderings and/or scale models with a statement that describes the project's intent, proposed materials, fabrication and installation methods, and an itemized budget. They will be supplied with plans, photographs, and specific information about the facility.

The proposals will remain the property of the artist. However, RISCA reserves the right to retain proposals for display purposes and the right to reproduce them for documentation and public information purposes.

Selection Criteria

The panel will select the artist based on the following criteria:

1. Safety of materials and techniques.
2. Appropriateness for facility.
3. Artistic vibrancy.
4. Responsiveness to this Call.
5. References and demonstrated ability to manage and complete commission.

Application Requirements

Submission Requirements:

Please note: This Call for Artists/Request for Qualifications is the first step in the public art selection process.  YOU ARE NOT BEING ASKED TO SUBMIT A SPECIFIC PROPOSAL AT THIS TIME. You will submit your qualifications, i.e. examples of previous work and references. After review, the selection committee will invite three finalists to create site-specific proposals for the Regan Building. A $3000 honorarium will be paid to finalists for this work.

RISCA will conduct the application process online, with all materials submitted in digital format through CaFÉ, (see below). There is no charge to apply.   At this preliminary selection stage, we are requesting submissions from artists or artist teams consisting of six images representing current work (completed within the past 15 years), a written statement or resume, and references.

If an artist wants to apply as an individual as well as part of a team, two separate CaFÉ profiles and two separate CaFÉ applications must be completed (i.e., one application submission for you and one for your team).

Materials will be reviewed by the selection panel to assess the quality and appropriateness of the artist's work and the artist’s ability to carry out a commission. 

No slides or hard copy materials will be accepted for this call. First time CaFÉ applicants must allow enough time to prepare their CaFÉ formatted digital images and electronic submission prior to the deadline on July 11, 2025. Applications will only be accepted through Café.

Eligibility Criteria

Artist Eligibility

This call is open to professional artists residing in the US. Undergraduate students are excluded. Applications may be submitted individually or in collaboration with others. The panel will not discriminate against any applicant based on age, race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, or physical challenges. Excluded from participation are RISCA Council members, staff, and their family members as well as Public Art Selection Panel members and their families.