Ohio Percent for Art/UofA Law Building Commission

Ohio Percent for Art/UofA Law Building Commission

Website: https://ohiopercentforart-lawbuilding.artcall.org

 Akron, OH, Unknown

Open To: Ohio Artists
Commission Amount: $45,000
Artwork to be Commissioned: Interior Wall Art
Entry Open Date: Friday, October 8, 2021
Entry Deadline: Friday, November 12, 2021

Project Summary: The University of Akron (UA) is inviting Ohio artists to submit up to eight (8) digital images of past interior work for the Law School Percent for Art Project commission. From the submissions, a group of semi-finalists will be selected to visit the campus, meet with the committee (comprising UA faculty and staff), and visit the artwork site location to create a site-specific artwork proposal. UA employees and their spouses are not eligible to apply for this commission, nor are students enrolled in any degree-granting program.

University History:
Established in 1870, The University of Akron offers more than 300 academic degree programs ranging from associate through doctoral degrees in the liberal arts, sciences, healthcare, engineering, business, education and more. Its beautiful metropolitan campus, located in the heart of Ohio’s fifth-largest city, is surrounded by more than 21,000 businesses, providing countless experiential learning opportunities to its more than 19,000 students hailing from around the world. With championship-winning NCAA Division I sports teams, more than 300 student organizations, and a top-ranked Student Recreation and Wellness Center, UA provides the full campus experience.

Project Background and Building History:
Renovation of the C. Blake McDowell Law Center began in 2015 to create a modern learning environment which includes two small moot court rooms, a new café, updates to classrooms, offices, technology, and building mechanics, as well as a 125-seat courtroom/classroom and two state-of-the-art lecture halls and student spaces. In the second and third floors of the building there is a new career services suite (including interview spaces), a new clinic suite, a modernized library, and study spaces.

Mission of School or Site:
The University of Akron School of Law promotes justice, the protection of individual liberty, and the rule of law through our commitment to excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service, and through our continuing commitment to expanding opportunities for legal education.

Artistic Goals of the Commissioned Piece:
The primary location for the commissioned artwork is the interior front entrance to the building above the staircase. The location, near the heart of the building, will have strong student and faculty interaction. The commissioned artwork should communicate the mission of the law school. The artwork should be inspiring, uplifting, and impressive. Key terms from the mission statement that should drive the commission are “justice, the protection of individual liberty, and the rule of law.”

Practical Considerations:
Artwork considered for the Law School project must be durable and suitably maintenance-free. The artwork site is in a location that receives a lot of natural light so fabrication materials must be fade resistent. The commissioned work should not include electrical, lighting elements, or water flow. Images of the site are above.

Selection Review Process:
Interested artists should complete the online form by visiting: https://ohiopercentforart-lawbuilding.artcall.org

In addition to the eight (8) images uploaded, artists are requested to submit the following documents:
1.           a current resume (maximum four pages) & artist statement as one pdf
2.           an image list in the order the images are uploaded

The Advisory Selection Committee will review submitted materials and will develop a list of semi-finalist artists that will be invited to meet with the committee for a site visit. After the site visit, the semi-finalists will create a site-specific proposal for artwork for the Law School project. Each semi-finalist will be offered a proposal fee in addition to an honorarium for their site visit.  Artist proposals will be judged competitively by the Committee.  Submitted proposals become the property of the University of Akron.

Ohio Arts Council Staff:
Kathy Signorino, Artist Programs and Percent for Art Director
614-728-6140 or kathy.signorino@oac.ohio.gov