Request for Qualifications for UNMC Residence Hall - Omaha From Nebraska 1% for Public Art

The University of Nebraska Medical Center’s (UNMC) new residence hall is the first on-campus residence hall designed for the needs of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Nestled in the hillside of 39th Street and Dewey Avenue, the building subtly defines the campus edge while remaining true to the forms and materials of the surrounding neighborhood.  

The building incorporates a collaborative floor design with flexible spaces crafted for student engagement. The residential facility will include studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units, which can house up to 300 UNMC Students. There will be other amenities, like a “grab-and-go” food option with indoor and outdoor seating, as well as first floor meeting and study spaces open to all UNMC students, faculty, and staff, including non-tenants. The new building also provides green space and connective pathways to promote interactions with nature and the surrounding campus life. 

This Request for Qualifications is for an exterior artwork site on the west side of the new Residence Hall. 

A variety of health professions students will call this building home. The Committee’s goal is to create a vibrant environment that welcomes people with an artwork that is refined, yet adds character and unique qualities to the building. The Committee would like the artwork to help the building stand apart from other buildings in Omaha, as a lively location that is clearly where health professions students study, play, relax, and most importantly, call home. Imagine, after a long day of clinical training, biomedical labwork, public health practicums, etc., arriving home to joyful artwork that invites residents and guests to use the other side of their brain. 

 

The artwork does not have to have a literal tie to health professions, and can be abstract and/or non-representational.  The letter of interest should descripte how your work would be a good fit for the building and the people using it, how it would achieve the goals listed in the RFQ, and, if applicable, and connections to health professions. 

 

The artwork site is a portion of the wall on the west side of the building. The artwork can be adhered or installed onto the wall, and can have sculptural or relief qualities. The artwork can not be installed on the ground, or require footings in the ground. The materials should be durable and able to withstand Nebraska wind and weather. Additional details about potential artwork sites are on the  following pages. Artists can use the entirety of wall the allocated. Quality over quantity and adherence to the budget, will be considered. 

The UNMC Campus is home to the Healing Arts Collection: https://healingarts.unmc.edu/permanent-collection/

Project renderings, site plans, as well as full RFQ for this project:  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1f1iGXMnHGzmz1QlGpMP-1hK2hqJ2AAlj?usp=sharing

The Committee reviews RFQ submissions on Artwork Archive. Professional public artists/teams within the U.S. are eligible. The Committee encourages all to apply, including those with historically marginalized backgrounds. 

Selection criteria will be based on the Letter of Interest and clarity of conceptual approach. Evidence of ability to complete projects from prior artwork, and mastery of skills. The committee will also consider the artists interest in connecting this work conceptually to UNMC. 

Visual Support Materials

Image descriptions: Label each uploaded image with title, medium, year, project budget, and any relevant description. 

Images: Ten (10) jpg images of completed relevant artworks. 

CV/Resume: Limit to three pages.

 

Letter of Interest: Briefly describe how you intend to use the site; describe your artistic style, background, and relevant past completed projects, and how they relate to this project. 

Use 500 words or less. 

 

Application Fee: There is no fee to submit for this project. 

Submitted artwork should be completed, and not representative of the work that would be created. In the description of each artwork, include the title, year, dimensions (include frame dimensions if applicable), medium, and price. The listed price should include the artwork, and an estimated cost to deliver or ship the work to Omaha. Once the artwork is selected and the agreement is signed, the artist will be responsible for shipping or delivering the piece. Unless otherwise agreed, all artworks will be framed by a professional framer and installed by an art handler. 

 

The number of works that are purchased depends on the price for each piece; only submit works priced between $1,000 and $20,000. The Committee will have full discretion over which pieces will be purchased and their locations within the building. If applicable, list any sites that may be ideal for the submitted work in the Letter of Interest, based on the site plans on this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1f1iGXMnHGzmz1QlGpMP-1hK2hqJ2AAlj?usp=sharing. This link also includes the full RFQ, other renderings, and the exterior RFQ for this building. 

 

The artwork cannot extend past 4” from the wall to be ADA compliant. Artwork should use materials that are long lasting, and require simple cleaning/maintenance management. 

 

Artists based in Nebraska will have preference, and professional artists residing in the United States are eligible.