KEY EVENTS

Launch to student 12 March/12 noon Weston Auditorium

Master class led by Prof Simeon Nelson 18 March/1pm Lindop A161

Surgery for students if needed 26 March/9.30 to 12.30 Todd Building

Deadline for students proposals 30 March Handed in to main reception

Judging of the winner 6 April

INTRODUCTION

We are using the term ‘Public Art Prize, rather than ‘Sculpture Prize’ as we wish to make it fully inclusive of all practices and approaches. We want as many applications as possible from as diverse a range of students as possible from all programmes and year groups including pg.

The prize is generously sponsored by Birch Engineering, and is in the format of £5,000 worth of fabrication. http:/www.birchengineering.co.uk

The commissioned work should be of a scale and format suitable for an outdoor and/or architectural context. It should be made of a material that will withstand the elements. It must also be within the range of materials and processes that Birch Engineering work with.

REQUIREMENTS

The work must be durable, requiring little or no maintenance. It must adhere to health and safety standards and must not pose a danger to the public.

SUBMISSION DETAILS

Students will be required to submit:

A written proposal of no more than 500 words using the following headings:

i) Concept/Relationship to Site

ii) Description of artwork

iii) Material

iv) Dimensions

v) Fabrication method (you are not expected to know precisely how it will be made but you must provide evidence of having considered this).

• A maximum of 3 x A3 drawings.

You may also submit a small-scale model, which should show the work in relationship to the site

• No more than 5 images of previous relevant work

• A current CV.

Deadline

3pm on Friday 30 March 2009

Proposals must be delivered to Art and Design Reception labeled as “UH Sculpture Prize Proposal” with your name and contact details clearly visible.

SITE

The prize this year is for a specific site -The New Student Forum currently under construction – see images at end of document. The site is a transitional zone between the architecture of the Forum and a belt of protected woodland. Proposals will need to work with the specificities of this site.

AIMS

- To encourage students to think how they might translate their jewellery, illustration, spatial design, painting, sculpture, installation or any other practice they may working within to a public and site specific context.

- To teach students creative and mental flexibility and to introduce cross-disciplinary practice.

- To give students an experience of a ‘real-world’ project within their studies

WORKING ON A PUBLIC ART COMMISSION

Working within the public art process is complicated and there are many potential pitfalls and challenges. A high proportion of public commissions do not reach completion for a large variety of reasons. Some reach completion but not to the satisfaction of the artist. The selected artist will be working with the Client – the Student Forum, the architect and landscape architect of the forum, the external sponsor-fabricator, Birch Engineering, UH Estates, who will be preparing the site for installation which could include amongst other things earthworks and concrete pouring.

Approach

Each candidate needs to think about how they will intervene with the already-there.

What is the nature of the site?

Which aspects of site do they engage with?

Is the artwork highly integrated into the site or is it in contrast to the site?

Managing a Public Art Commission – successfully transforming initial idea into finished product

Making the idea work with the site, what if you want to change something about the site?

Collaborating with the client, the architect, the commissioner and other design professionals.

Resolving problems

Keeping within the Budget

Making the idea buildable.

MATERIALS AND FABRICATION

You will need to work within the materials and fabrication processes that the sponsoring company, Birch Engineering works with. Materials include steel, glass and other metals. Fabrication methods include, cutting, welding and surface finishing.

INSTALLATION

UH Estates will supervise the installation of the work and any preparatory ground works.

RESOURCE

http://www.simeon-nelson.com

Client

http://www.herts.ac.uk/news-and-events/latest-news/studentforum.cfm

http://www.forumhertfordshire.co.uk/project/index.html

Please see the images below which show the background work done by Birch Engineering and the Public Art prize winner before the structured sculpture is installed.