AUGUSTA, ME, May 16, 2016—The Maine Arts Commission is pleased to invite all artists who are permanent Maine residents to submit proposals to design, create and install exterior artwork at the Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) midcoast campus in Brunswick, Maine. The total project budget is approximately $37,000 and the submission deadline has been extended to Thursday, June 2, 2016, at 5:00 p.m.

“Public art is one of the best ways for everyone to enjoy art that enriches our landscapes and work places, as well as one of the best ways for an artist’s work to be visible,” said Julie Horn, Visual Arts Director at the Maine Arts Commission. “Maine’s Percent for Art law represents great economic and artistic opportunities both for Maine artists and Maine people.”

All professional artists who reside in Maine and apply are eligible for consideration to this project. Artists who are employees of the Maine state university system are ineligible for Percent for Art projects at the location where they are employed, as are members of the selection committee and their immediate families. Students at any level are ineligible. The project is open to all artists age 18 and over, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, military status, sexual orientation, marital status, or physical disabilities.  Artist teams are eligible to apply, including teams of artists from multiple disciplines.

SMCC is interested in proposals that address the need for a design or visual solution to unify three buildings on its midcoast campus, located at Brunswick Landing in Brunswick, Maine at the former Brunswick Naval Air Station. SMCC’s mission is to empower students to respond to a changing world and enhances economic and cultural development in Southern Maine by providing a variety of educational opportunities and partnerships. The campus, which opened in 2011, consists of five buildings set on the outskirts of a large parking lot. The SMCC Midcoast campus offers over 100 sections of college courses in liberal studies, business administration, composites technology, pre-engineering and nursing. The campus enrollment has grown to 575 students with many first generation students. Being a community college, many students work full time and take night classes, although the campus is becoming more residential. By offering high quality, affordable education, these students are able to make vast changes in their lives.

The Percent for Art law in Maine reserves one percent of the construction funds for all state-funded building projects to provide artwork for the public areas of these buildings and /or their exterior renovations and additions. The artwork commissioned through this program takes on many forms. Traditional representative sculpture, abstract wall-mounted works, projects that integrate artwork throughout the building in a holistic manner, mobiles, earthwork and new media are just a few of the categories that have been commissioned.

For questions about the locations at SMCC, or if you would like to visit the campus with a committee representative, please contact James Whitten, the project manager at jwhitten@smccme.edu. If you have questions about the architectural elements, the architect representative for this project is Andrew Tyner, who can be contacted via e-mail at ATyner@smrtinc.com.

For all other questions about this specific project or the Percent for Art program please contact Julie Horn, Visual Arts Director at the Maine Arts Commission at Julie.Horn@maine.gov, or 207/287-2790. Additional information on the Percent for Art program, including all calls for proposals and access to applications, can be found at https://mainearts.maine.gov/pages/public/public-arts.

The Maine Arts Commission shall encourage and stimulate public interest and participation in the cultural heritage and cultural programs of our state; shall expand the state's cultural resources; and shall encourage and assist freedom of artistic expression for the well being of the arts, to meet the needs and aspirations of persons in all parts of the state. 

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