View full call document here.

Background

Founded in one of the State of Louisiana's most attractive areas, The University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) is a comprehensive, state-funded institution of higher education. ULM offers high-quality educational and experiential opportunities to meet the academic, cultural, vocational, social, and personal needs of undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education students.

With the beautiful Bayou DeSiard flowing through its 238-acre, tree-shaded campus, ULM's mission is to "seek students who find value in our programs and prepare them to compete, succeed, and contribute in an ever-changing global society through transformative education.

Over the past 90 years, the University of Louisiana Monroe has followed a course of vigorous growth in its transition from a junior college to an institution offering a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Presently, the university offers more than 90 majors and minors, with degree programs both in-person and online. These offerings include a range of undergraduate and master's degree programs. ULM Warhawks also have the option of earning a doctoral degree in pharmacy, education, or philosophy. Research facilities include an agricultural farm laboratory, an educational media center, and a herbarium. Under the direction of President Dr. Ronald Berry, the university continues to grow and prosper, with U.S. News & World Report recognizing the University of Louisiana Monroe as a Best National University in 2021.

Opened in 1963, Sandel Hall first served as the university library. It was named after Monroe resident Percy M. Sandel, a judge of the fourth judicial court. Initially built as a two-story building, Sandel Hall received a third-floor addition in 1977. The building served as the university library until 1999, when the current library opened. Since the library departed from the building, the facility has housed the university's natural history museum, herbarium, testing center, bookstore, and recruitment and admissions office.

The most recent renovation of Sandel Hall began in 2014. The remodeling was designed by Bill Land of Land 3 Architect, whose family was also very influential in the development of ULM's campus infrastructure. Land's father was the original architect on Sandel Hall in 1961, and his grandfather was the original architect of the first building on the ULM campus, Brown Hall, built in 1931.

Currently, the 88,000-square-foot building is a "one-stop-shop" for students, representing a significant step forward in revitalizing ULM's facilities. The building houses the university bookstore, the office of recruitment and admissions, the university registrar, financial aid, the scholarship office, campus radio stations, an innovation center, and other core administrative departments. In addition, Sandel Hall now also provides several multimedia classrooms and conference rooms with cutting-edge interactive features as well as a state-of-the-art biology laboratory.

About the Public Art

The sculptural artwork will face Northeast Drive and be located between Sandel Hall and the new Hub Student Union Building (currently under construction). Sandel Hall is home to ULM’s Office of Admissions and all prospective students begin their campus tours at Sandel Hall.

As such, this artwork should inspire prospective students as they begin their higher education journey. This sculpture will represent the life-changing and transformative impact of higher education. It should embody hope, growth, and transformation for the region of northeast Louisiana.

Budget

The proposal selected by the committee will include an all-inclusive budget of $110,000 to cover all costs associated with the project, and commensurate with the intended scale, including but not limited to: research, professional consultations, formal reports from licensed structural and electrical engineers where appropriate, a long-term care and maintenance report from a licensed professional conservator, materials, fabrication, transportation, travel, insurance, installation, and photography and documentation of the artwork.

Scope of Work

The development and design for the artwork should:

• Consider the elements of the site as a source of design ideas.
• Consider the facility and the area(s) surrounding the artwork and their intended uses as described in this call.
• Reflect ULM’s history, diversity and cultural profile
• Represent ULM's vision of transformation and growth
• Be durable, sturdy, stable, suitable for the climate conditions, resistant to UV damage, and safe for public interaction.

Selection Process & Evaluation Criteria

An Art Selection Committee (the Committee) may include (but is not limited to) representatives from the Louisiana Office of Facility Planning & Control, the architectural firm that designed the facility, representatives from ULM, professional artist(s), and the State Arts Council will review all eligible artist submissions.

Submissions are evaluated by the following criteria:

• Artistic excellence and originality as evidenced by the representations of past work images and other supporting materials
• Appropriateness of artist’s medium, style, and previous experience as they relate to the project goals and setting
• Experience with projects of a similar scale and scope
• Ability to create site-specific or site-reactive works
• Availability to participate in the design and implementation of the project as required
• Special consideration will be given to Louisiana artists as defined by La. R.S.25:9000.1(E)
• The committee may also take into consideration when selecting artists whether or not an artist is already represented in the state’s collection

Notifications and Proposals

Notifications will be issued by the end of March 2022. A full timeline will be provided to those finalists who have been shortlisted.

This is a call for the submission of proposals. If your proposal is selected, you will be contacted by the Percent for Art program staff. A selection will be made within two weeks of the proposal meeting.

Finalists will be required to attend two (2) meetings: A site visit to meet with the Committee and to view the space, and the presentation of the artist’s proposal before the Committee.

The proposal must include the concept, materials, size, weight, installation requirements, details of maintenance, and budget. The proposal must also include a maquette (if applicable) or digital renderings, which displays the physical volume of the space and allows for multiple perspectives of the artwork within the space.

All proposal documents, including the maquette and renderings, will become property of the State of Louisiana and will be used for educational and/or promotional purposes of the program. Each finalist’s proposal and/or maquette may be exhibited for Committee and community consideration.

An honorarium/proposal fee of $1,500 will be paid to artists to offset expenses associated with the development of proposals and travel (if applicable).

NOTE: "The Percent for Art Program and the Artist Selection Committee reserves the right to change, modify, or revise the Call to Artists, in part or whole, at any time before the submittal deadline without prior notice. Any change, modification or revision can be found here. The Percent for Art Program and the Artist Selection Committee also reserves the right to reject any or all applications or proposals, to reject any finalist, or to terminate the selection process for any project without prior notice."

The Louisiana Percent for Art Program was established by law in the 1999 legislative session. The law specifies that on projects using more than $2,000,000.00 in state funds, one percent (1%) of the expenditure for construction or renovation of a state building shall be for works of art by artists and craftsmen for the building or its grounds.

Application Requirements

Submission Requirements

A complete application must include:

• Artist résumé demonstrating a minimum of five (5) years of professional visual art experience (NOT STUDENT WORK). If submitting as a team, a current résumé should be submitted for each team member (Compiled into one document). A biography will not be accepted in place of a résumé.
• Statement of interest describing:
  1. Why you are interested in this project
  2. Previous experience with public art
  3. Your connection (if any) or interest in ULM
  4. How you believe the art will enhance the chosen space
• References that include the names and current contact information for three (3) individuals with whom you have worked, collaborated, or who have commissioned your work in the past. 
  References will be contacted for artists invited to develop a proposal for the commission.
• Images (6) of your original completed commissions, not proposals, which demonstrate your qualifications for the project. 3-D models, sketches, or drawings will not be accepted. You must include the title, medium, dimensions, project budget (price), year completed, location, and a description. The value must be indicated in US dollars. Each image must contain only one view of the work. 
  Multiple images per commission/project or unexecuted conceptual projects will not be considered, and may disqualify your submission.
• Up to 3 videos (optional) of work examples

Eligibility Criteria

This call for artists is open to professional artists 18 and over, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender identification, military status, sexual orientation, marital status, or physical ability.

Artist teams may apply and must designate one artist as the lead contact. Examples of work submitted must be original, recently completed artwork (within the last 10 years).