Florida Gulf Coast University Academic Building 10 Art in State Buildings
Call to Artists
Details
| Deadline | March 6, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Florida Gulf Coast University |
| Location | Fort Myers , FL |
Description
Project Description
Florida Gulf Coast University is seeking submissions from one or more qualified artists or artist teams to develop public artwork for Academic Building 10 (AB10) for Marieb College of Health and Human Services on the campus of FGCU, in keeping with the Art in State Buildings Program, in the Florida Administrative Code.
The new Health Sciences Building will provide a holistic solution to physical and mental health pedagogy as well as offer clinical services for the university and its community.
The four-story 160,000 square foot building will include an interdisciplinary simulation center, makerspace lab, OSCE labs, digital dissection, nursing health programs, research labs, mental health counseling, a home-health apartment and a fully immersive CAVE/virtual reality space. The building is currently scheduled to be completed in Spring 2028.
The proposed artwork should incorporate themes related to the health sciences field, both abstract and illustrative, embracing the design driver terms and phrases utilized in the development of the building architecture and the vision for future health science programs. These terms and phrases include:
- Immersive experiences
- Inviting and open
- Generational innovation
- Engagement
- Healthcare delivery of today, tomorrow and beyond
- Evolving and willingness to adapt
- Team based care
- Curated integration with architecture of the building
Visit this link for a pdf of the call including the artwork location plan.
Background
Florida Gulf Coast University is a public university in Fort Myers, Florida offering nearly 100 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees. Established in May 1991, FGCU is part of the State University System of Florida and serves over 16,000 students on its 807-acre campus. Visit Florida Gulf Coast University online at www.fgcu.edu for additional in-depth information about the campus, campus life, academics, degrees and programs as well as history and future growth.
Plans and Artwork Location Possibilities
The Public Art Selection Committee has reviewed the AB10 plans and identified possible locations for art installation. Those plans are attached to this RFP as Exhibit A. Space measurements are included for reference. The artwork may be 2D or 3D.
The Committee reserves the right to commission art for any or all these locations based on a variety of factors when reviewing the initial submissions. They also reserve the right to select one or numerous artists or artworks to fulfill the Public Art requirement.
Budget
The budget for Public Art is mandated by the Florida Administrative Code in the “Art in State Buildings Program”. Based on those guidelines, the budget for Public Art in the AB10 project is indicated to be $100,000, which must include expenses associated with the RFP Solicitation. The selected artist(s) or team(s) will be awarded a comprehensive contract (or contracts). The artist will be responsible for artwork design, fabrication, materials, insurance, travel, transport, public presentations and meetings with FGCU staff and Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) as needed to necessary, as well as related incidental expenses.
Installation costs and identification signage for the artwork will be paid for by FGCU.
How to Participate
Artist Criteria
Artists shall meet at least (2) of the following criteria to have their submission presented to the Public Art Selection Committee. This ensures that artists have achieved a level of expertise and recognition in their profession. The criteria are listed below:
- The artist has completed other public commissions of a similar
- The artist has received awards, grants or
- The artist’s works are included in public, private, corporate or museum
- The artist has participated in exhibitions at major museums or
Artist Submission Requirements
In addition to the foregoing criteria, each artist shall submit the following:
- A brief letter of interest describing why his/her artwork is appropriate for the project and how the submitted images related to the project Artists may also briefly describe their history, training and experience.
- Current professional resume, with emphasis on public art
- Ten (10) to Twenty (20) digital images of Do NOT include identifying information on the face of any digital image submissions, as initial review will be a “blind review”.
- The Image Identification Sheet, which shall describe the submitted images, and be clearly labeled with the project number, project name, artist’s name, artist address, artist phone number and artist For each image submitted, the artist shall include a thumbnail of image, image number, title of work, date of work, medium of work, dimensions of work, price of work or amount of commission and indication of artwork’s availability for purchase (if applicable). For images of commissioned work, the artist may include a brief description or explanation.
Artists shall comply with these specific instructions regarding their submissions.
Selection Criteria
Artists will be evaluated on artistic excellence, as evidenced by the submission materials, professional experience, compatibility with the design driver terms and phrases, architecture and vision for the AB10 facility in an Image Review Meeting.
The Committee shall complete a preliminary Blind Review of each submission to get an overall sense of all submissions. Artists shall remain anonymous in the preliminary Blind Review.
A second Blind Review shall be conducted, again with the artist remaining anonymous. Information regarding artworks medium and scale may be provided. The following elements shall be considered in the determination of artistic excellence:
- Use of design: the visual composition of the artist’s
- Composition: the arrangement of the artistic parts for a unified whole in the artist’s
- Originality: whether the artist’s work is fresh, creative and not
- Craftmanship: whether the artist’s work displays skill, proficiency and expertise in
- Thematic Content: whether the artist’s work embodies or expands upon ideas, perceptions, points of view or the design driver terms and
- Materials: whether the materials are appropriate to concept and permanence for conservation
The Committee shall complete a third Review and discuss artists whose images have been identified for further consideration and artist’s resumes will be reviewed. Upon completion of the third Review, the Committee shall select Finalists for either Artist’s Presentations or Location-Specific Proposals, depending on the result of the reviews and at the Committee’s discretion.
All artists who submit will be notified of the results of the Image Review Meeting. Selected Finalists will be provided with an additional Finalist Submission package that outlines the Submission Requirements and a proposed schedule for presentations.
The Public Art Selection Committee reserves the right to reject any or all submissions, proposals, applicants, or projects, and to modify or terminate the submission process or the selection process for any reason and without prior notice.
Schedule (subject to changed based on Committee availability)
- Issue Artist Solicitation – Call for Art Wednesday, February 11, 2026
- Written Question Submittal Deadline Friday, February 13, 2026
- Written Question Responses Issued Monday, February 16, 2026
- Artist’s Submissions Due Friday, March 6, 2026
- Image Review Meeting Week of March 9, 2026
- Issue Finalist Notifications Monday, March 16, 2026
- Finalist Submissions Due Friday, April 10, 2026
- Finalist Review Meeting Week of April 20, 2026
- Finalist Notification & Submission Package Monday, April 27, 2026 Contact
For further information or written question submittal, please contact Jennifer Nichols Kennedy, TJNG Partners, at [email protected] or (407) 644-2445 x103
This opportunity has been submitted by Jennifer Nichols Kennedy. The listing of the opportunity does not imply endorsement by the Division of Arts and Culture or the Department of State. Contact Florida Gulf Coast University with questions or for more information.
