Qualifications are requested from artists interested in creating a site-specific exterior public artwork for Lamar Community College’s Vocational Trades Building in Lamar, Colorado. Budget for this opportunity is $13,000. This call is open to Colorado artists only. PDF of full RFQ is available here. The deadline for this opportunity has been extended to October 29, 2019.

ABOUT LAMAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Founded in 1937, Lamar Community College (LCC) is a learner-centered, open enrollment, two-year post-secondary institution. Located on the golden plains of southeastern Colorado, Lamar Community College is focused on the educational needs of Prowers, Baca, Kiowa, and Cheyenne Counties as well as students who come to LCC from across the state, the country, and the world. LCC is committed to providing its more than 1,000 students with academic programs that qualify students for transfer to four-year colleges and universities, educational offerings that meet the occupational needs of students in career and technical fields, instructional and support strategies that enable students to begin classes at any stage of academic preparation, opportunities for perpetual learning and lifelong development.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION – ABOUT THE VOCATIONAL TRADES BUILDING
The new Vocational Trades Building is planned to be approximately 9,700 square feet and is to be located in the center of campus. It will contain lab space for three programs – Precision Agriculture, Construction Trades, and Renewable Energy. The three lab spaces are sized to accommodate necessary equipment for each program, with the remaining building serving as flexible space for all three programs, including a multi-use classroom, conference room and breakout spaces in the lobby.

 The Precision Agriculture program integrates state-of-the-art technology throughout the curriculum to provide students with the knowledge and skills to address a growing industry need in the technology of precision agriculture.  Since LCC is located in an agricultural community, this program gives students the hands-on science and business skills needed to transfer to a four-year university or go directly into the industry.

LCC’s Construction Trades program is dedicated to seeing that students gain the skills and knowledge to immediately enter the workforce. The program provides the technical knowledge and hands-on experience necessary to excel in the construction industry and the majority of student’s learning is through working on real projects, with the opportunity to work alongside some of the industry’s most talented professionals. By the end of the program students can communicate a sound theoretical understanding of construction practices and demonstrate proficiency in the trades’ skills.

The Renewable Energy Technologies program is designed for students interested in the manufacturing, repair, installation and maintenance of photovoltaic systems, wind turbines, solar thermal systems and biofuel equipment. By the end of the program, students will be able to describe design requirements and installation guidelines, identify materials and resources, and provide information on green buildings, safety issues, maintenance and trouble shooting. The program focuses on various forms of energy, including wind, solar and electrical.

BUDGET: $13,000
All costs associated with the public art project including, but not limited to, artist design fee, structural engineering, insurance, materials, fabrication, transportation, installation, building or site modifications, travel to and from the site, per diem expenses, project documentation, contingency to cover unexpected expenses and any other costs related to the project are covered by this budget.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC ART
The Art Selection Committee is looking to commission an artwork to be located on the exterior of the new Vocational Trades Building. The committee would like an artwork or artworks that are mounted to or integrated into the building’s surface near the main entrance to the building.  While the final building design is still to be determined, the exterior will likely have a variety of materials, including a metal roof, metal siding, glass, wood, and board form concrete. A variety of materials for the artwork will be considered, and the work can be two-dimensional or three-dimensional, as long as it is on the side of the building. While the area around Lamar has a rich history and a continued relationship with agriculture, both farming and ranching, there has also been a longstanding focus on other skilled trades appropriate to the times. Today that means Construction Trades and Renewable Energy, which have a strong collaborative relationship with Agriculture. Tomorrow, the skilled trades needed in the region could change. Since the long-term goal of the building is to meet the needs of the region from today into the future, the committee would like an artwork that addresses not only the synergy and collaboration between the current three academic programs to be housed in the building, but one that remains relevant as the college’s programming evolves and changes to meet the needs within the region. The committee would like the artwork to have imagery that illustrates this history (past, present, and future) or tells a story about the three programs’ importance in Southeast Colorado and their interconnectedness to each other.

The Selection Committee will consider the following:

·         Artistic excellence
·         Thematic appropriateness
·         Scale, material, form and content
·         Appropriate relationship to the function of the site
·         Resistance to general wear, vandalism, or theft
·         Ease of maintenance, minimal and low cost maintenance

APPLICATION PROCESS 
All applications for this project are being accepted through the online platform, CaFÉ™
(www.callforentry.org ). No hard copy or emailed submissions will be accepted. The applicant will be asked to submit digital images of art (see below for more information), a resume, and a brief statement of interest. There is no application fee to apply or to use the CaFÉ™ online application system. Assistance in using the CaFÉ™ system is available during regular business hours by calling 303-629-1166, 1-888-562-7232 or email cafe@westaf.org.

Digital Images. In order to be considered for this project, the applicant must electronically submit, via the CaFÉ™ system, no less than six (6) and no more than eight (8) digital images of previously completed artworks. Instructions on how to use CaFÉ™ and format images can be found at www.callforentry.org/image_prep.phtml.

Resume: Submit a current résumé, via CaFÉ™, that outlines professional accomplishments as an artist.

Statement of Interest: A statement of interest of 250 words or less must be submitted via CaFÉ™. It should briefly outline the interest in the specific opportunity and applicable experience.

COLORADO ART IN PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM
In 1977, the Colorado General Assembly passed the Art in Public Places Act requiring that 1% of the construction costs of new or renovated state-owned buildings be used to acquire works of art for permanent installation at the project site. Colorado Creative Industries is responsible for implementation of the law. All works of art commissioned pursuant to this request are owned by the State of Colorado via Lamar Community College. De-accession of the public art, if necessary, will follow the policies and procedures established by Colorado Creative Industries.

ELIGIBILITY
All applicants must be residents of the state of Colorado. Any applications submitted with addresses outside of Colorado will be disqualified and not reviewed. The Program is open to all artists regardless of race, color, creed, gender, gender variance, national origin, age, religion, marital status, political opinion or affiliation, or mental or physical handicap.

SELECTION PROCESS AND SCHEDULE
The Art Selection Committee will review all complete submittals. A short list of semifinalists will be invited to prepare and present a final proposal in person and be paid an honorarium of $1,000. Final selection(s) will be made from the semifinalists’ proposals. The schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, October 22, 11:59 pm MST - Deadline for receipt of submittal via CaFÉ™ system
November 2019 – Selection committee meets to select Semi-Finalists
November 2019 - Notification of Semi-Finalist selection
January 2020– Artist presentations to the Art Selection Committee
January 2020 – Artist selected
*Building scheduled to break ground in early 2020 and to be completed by the end of 2020

QUESTIONS
If you require more information or clarification, please contact Ruth Bruno, Public Art Program Manager, at 303-892-3813 or ruth.bruno@state.co.us.

ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION
https://lamarcc.edu/about-lcc/
https://lamarcc.edu/academics/occupational-programs/agriculture/
https://lamarcc.edu/academics/occupational-programs/construction-trades/
https://lamarcc.edu/academics/occupational-programs/renewable-energy-technologies/

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria