Dover-Foxcroft Percent for Art Competition

The Maine Arts Commission is making a call to all artists living in Maine to submit proposals to design, create and install artwork at the Piscataquis County Courthouse in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine. The total project budget is $13,890 and the submission deadline is 2:00 pm on Wednesday, August 10, 2011.

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.

Dover-Foxcroft is the shire town, or county seat, of Piscataquis County, as well as its largest town. Originally separated by the Piscataquis River, the two towns of Dover and Foxcroft were merged in 1922 to form Dover-Foxcroft.

Within Dover-Foxcroft are the District Court and Superior Court of Piscataquis County; they are located in adjacent buildings. The original building, site of the Superior Court, is undergoing renovations. The area under consideration for artwork is part of an addition and complete renovation of the court’s space.

The Percent for Art selection committee is seeking artists to submit proposals that are appropriate both for the court and the people it serves in the community. Although you are invited to do so, no specific theme or narrative of the town or region's history, geography or other references is necessary.

A Percent for Art selection committee of three members will jury submissions for the project. They will review the materials to determine whom to invite for a second round of evaluation. Artists selected for the second round will receive a $1,000 design fee for refining their proposals. Final proposals will include detailed models, drawings, renderings, samples of work and/or materials depending on the nature of the proposal. All finalists will present their final proposals to the committee in person. Artists are asked not to submit detailed models, drawings, samples, or final proposals for the first round of the selection process.

All professional artists who work in Maine may apply for consideration to this project. Artists who are employees of the Maine courts 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. Contact Greg Parker, Public Art Contractor, with questions through e-mail at mainepfa@gmail.com, or via the phone at 207/557-2563.

The full prospectus is on MaineArts.com.