Information for Art Inclusion for the Life Sciences Center II project, Rutgers University – Newark, Newark, New Jersey 

Rutgers University - Newark and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts are pleased to present the Life Sciences Center II commission. This exciting opportunity is accepting proposals from adult visual artists who live or maintain a permanent art studio in Newark, NJ; who are current residents of the State of New Jersey, and have experience with contracted projects of a similar budget and scope. Preference will be given to artists with a strong connection to Newark. Qualified artists are encouraged to submit their work samples, resume, letter of interest and references for a public art project in the West entry exterior plaza egress stair cast-in-place concrete wall of the Life Sciences Center II addition. The selected artist will be provided a budget of $13,500 for the project to include all costs.  

The Art Selection committee envisions a mural or other surface enhancement that draws upon thematic material related to the respective Sciences housed in the facility. The materials used must be durable, low maintenance, resistant to vandalism and coordinate well with the material palette of the building and the exterior plaza. 

Project: 

Rutgers University - Newark is soliciting Expressions of Interest (EOI) from prospective artists to design, fabricate and install artwork for the Life Sciences Center II project at Rutgers University – Newark Campus in Newark, New Jersey. The proposed artwork for the new building is part of the New Jersey Arts Inclusion Program and is coordinated by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and Rutgers University Planning, Design and Development department within Institutional Planning and Operations.   

Since the passage of the New Jersey Arts Inclusion Act of 1978, the program has led to the commissioning and installation of hundreds of public artworks in state financed construction projects throughout New Jersey.  The Act requires that up to 1.5% of the state financed construction budget is set aside for the inclusion of publicly accessible art. 

This exciting opportunity is accepting proposals from adult visual artists who live or maintain a permanent art studio in Newark, NJ; who are current residents of the State of New Jersey, and have experience with contracted projects of a similar budget and scope. Preference will be given to artists with a strong connection to Newark. 

Building Expansion Project Description 

The building project includes, but is not limited to, the construction of an approximately 85,000 GSF building addition to the Rutgers University - Newark Life Sciences Center as described below.  Located at 225 University Avenue in Newark, NJ, the proposed facility for Rutgers University Newark is an infill project between the existing Life Sciences Center (LSC I), Aidekman Center and Boyden Halls.  

The building plan design is that of two cubes that are separated and canted from each other to rationalize the complex geometry of the site that is created by the existing buildings. The exterior skin is constructed of primarily curtain wall on both prominent east facades and the west façade that faces the internal science quad, while the facades facing the existing adjacent buildings are composed of an insulated metal panel wall system.   

The first floor entrance is at grade. This floor serves to connect the street front of the site with the park like back of the site, a link to the science quad. It will house a tiered 100-person classroom, and shell space intended to house a biology and a chemistry teaching laboratory. The Second floor shall contain two chemistry research labs and their associated write up office spaces as well as a shell space intended to house entrepreneurial flexible laboratory space. The third floor program shall be entirely shell space although it is intended to have a similar program to the second floor.  The fourth floor shall be entirely populated with biology research labs. The fifth floor shall house a vivarium. The space in the north portion or module of the fifth floor shall be the cage wash support facility as well as the non-human primate holding and procedural spaces, to include monitoring and automatic watering systems. The south module shall be shell space intended to house small animal (mice and other rodents) holding and procedural areas in the future. Above on the sixth floor will be a mechanical penthouse. 

Rather than suggesting a subject matter for the arts inclusion, the design team along with the Life Sciences Center II Executive Committee recommends that thematic material related to the respective Sciences housed in the facility for the art and would be a mural type production housed in the west plaza of the center. 

Potential Location for Arts Inclusion 

The committee has identified the West entry exterior plaza egress stair cast-in-place concrete wall as the location for the artwork. This location would extend the art inclusion work from within the building addition out into the exterior west entry plaza. The materials used must be durable and coordinate well with the material palette of the building and the exterior plaza. Please refer to the site plan linked above regarding the potential location and size for the artwork. The materials selected shall be sustainable, durable and should require minimal maintenance and upkeep.  They should also be appropriate for a public setting. Materials should be treated to withstand vandalism (as appropriate for the material selected.) 

Arts Inclusion Project Budget 

The proposed budget for the artwork is $13,500.00.  The budget shall cover all costs incurred by the artist relating to the design, fabrication and installation of the art work.  Covered expenses include but shall not be limited to compensation for design and engineering services, materials, transportation of artwork, fabrication, installation, etc. 

Artist Eligibility 

This project is open to artists/artist teams who are at least 18 years of age, and legally able to enter a contract with Rutgers University. Artists must have verifiable experience undertaking a contract for public art with a budget of at least $10,000. Artists (individuals or all team members) must live or maintain a permanent art studio in the city of Newark, NJ; and must be current residents of the State of New Jersey. Preference will be given to artists with a strong connection to Newark. Artist/Teams must be able to work effectively and collaboratively with the Rutgers University planning and property management team to further develop their initial proposal. The contracted artists are expected to meet University and State requirements and communicate effectively through to the final installation.  

Artists who do not meet these criteria are not eligible for consideration, and the jury will not review any submissions from ineligible artists. Your address, as listed in CAFE, is visible to the call organizers. Please verify in your CAFE account that it is accurate and current, to prevent your submissions from being pulled due to address eligibility issues. 

Anticipated Process 

All applications must be submitted through www.callforentry.org (CAFE), a free website for artists to use. Artists must first register and set up an account in CAFE, if they do not already have one, 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. 

Artists interested in participating in the project shall submit letters summarizing their interest and experience in the creation of public artworks.  The letter shall include a list of at least 3 references (name, contact information – phone number and e-mail address) for similar projects. Please note which references can verify previous contract work of at least $10,000. In addition to the letter the artists should include other pertinent information including their resume, photographs/images (minimum: 4, maximum: 6) of examples of installations of public art, website links, etc.   

Three (3) potential artists will be selected to be finalists from those who submit expressions of interest.  The selected finalists are to prepare a project specific proposal that will be presented, either in person, at the Rutgers University – Newark campus, New Jersey or via conference call /web presentation to the Life Sciences Center II Inclusion Committee.  Each of the three (3) finalists shall receive a stipend in the amount not-to-exceed $500.00 to cover costs associated with the preparation of the presentation and travel expenses. 

Schedule 

Posting date (solicitation for interest): April 7, 2021 

Closing Deadline: May 7, 2021 

Jury/Panel Review Begins: May 17, 2021 

Jury/Panel Review End: June 4, 2021 

Notification of Finalists: June 14, 2021 (artists prepare project specific presentations between June 14, 2021 and July 12, 2021 – approx. 4 weeks) 

Finalist Presentations (in person): Week of July 19 or July 26, 2021 

Notification of Selected Artist: Week of August 9, 2021 

Authorization to Proceed: Week of August 23, 2021 

Completion of Project: December 17, 2021 (art work completed and installed) it is anticipated that the artists shall provide periodic updates as to the progress of the design and fabrication of the art. 

(All dates except the completion date are subject to change) 

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria