The Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems (IRIS) at the University of Georgia invites proposals for a public art installation.
The goal of this project is to use art to enhance citizen science, leveraging art installations within a natural site to crowd-source environmental monitoring.
We invite proposals for an artwork to be situated in a publicly-accessible location within an engineered wetland area (a form of natural infrastructure). The public will be invited to photograph the artwork from a given viewing position using their personal devices and share the photos with researchers. Images will be analyzed for ecological parameters such as vegetation height, species composition, and habitat utilization. The viewing station will include information about the artwork, the natural area, and the science that viewers will contribute to by photographing the artwork.
Researchers want to understand how the quantity and quality of ecological data collected in this manner compares to traditional monitoring approaches, and will explore how the art installation (and associated information) affects public opinion towards natural infrastructure. If this approach proves effective for monitoring and community outreach, we would incorporate it into future natural infrastructure planning at coastal sites.
The winning team will be awarded a grant of up to $2500, including materials, to design, build and install the artwork. An initial payment of 50% will be made before July 1, with final payment made upon installation of the artwork in Fall, 2025. The artwork will remain on display for approximately one year.
Background
Natural infrastructure is crucial to ensuring the resilience of human and ecological systems in a changing world. Evidence suggests that natural infrastructure can be equally or more cost-effective than conventional infrastructure, and that it has the ability to recover on its own after disasters.
It is crucial to monitor these natural infrastructure systems to ensure that they are providing the services on which local communities rely and to know when management intervention may be necessary. Despite this, monitoring is often neglected, partially due to limited capacity and inadequate funding. We are interested in developing creative and effective solutions to this problem, while simultaneously promoting public engagement with natural infrastructure.
This project is funded by a grant from the University of Georgia Office of Research Teaming for Interdisciplinary Research Pre-Seed Program.
Eligibility
Individuals and teams are eligible to apply. Individual applicants must be affiliated with the University of Georgia (student or otherwise). Teams may include non-UGA members, but the contact person for the team must be UGA affiliated.
An individual may participate as a team member on multiple submissions. However, the same individual cannot serve as the contact person for more than one submission.
If you have questions about your eligibility, including questions about your eligibility to receive funds, please contact Professor Brock Woodson (bwoodson@uga.edu) or Dr. Daniel Coleman (Daniel.Coleman@uga.edu).
Timeline
Monday, Feb 24: Deadline to register for an optional pre-submission information session. These will be on-site sessions with members of the research team to look at potential siting of the artwork and viewing station(s), and answer questions. Teams contemplating submitting to this design challenge are strongly encouraged to attend an information session.
February 24-28: On-site information sessions for teams planning to submit.
March 21: Deadline to submit completed proposal.
April 1: Notification of finalists. If selected as a finalist, your team will be contacted for additional information and a possible interview (in person or zoom).
April 15: Notification of winner.
June 30: Payment #1 (50% of award) will be made on or before June 30, 2025, with the balance paid upon completion and installation of the artwork in Fall, 2025.
August 15: Deadline for receipt of a completed (revised) design.
Fall 2025: Artwork must be installed during the Fall 2025 semester. Final payment will be made upon installation.
Informational Sessions
On-site information sessions will be held on February XX at XX:XX (Lake Herrick) and February XX at XX:XX (Botanical Gardens) for interested artists or design teams. These sessions are optional, but essential for understanding potential locations for proposed artworks, and other constraints.
Please contact Dr. Daniel Coleman (Daniel.Coleman@uga.edu) to register for one or both of the information sessions. At least one member of each team is encouraged to attend the session for the site under consideration. In your email, please indicate your name and which session(s) you will be attending.
If you cannot make either information session, please contact Dr. Daniel Coleman (Daniel.Coleman@uga.edu) to discuss options for visiting the site and getting questions answered.
Proposal Guidelines
Site
The artwork will be installed in one of two sites: the southwest corner of Lake Herrick on the campus of the University of Georgia (map, streetview), or the artificial wetland adjacent to the orange trail at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia (map, streetview).
Artworks may be proposed for either site. If the artwork will work in either site, the proposal should indicate that, and account for differences in the sites (e.g. modified design or installation methods).
Specific placement within the site is flexible. Final position of the artwork and viewing station(s) will be determined jointly by the winning design team and IRIS researchers to ensure that artistic and scientific goals can be met.
Note that while the photo station will have a fixed position and camera angle, the artwork need not be limited to a single point in space. It is possible to distribute elements within the site, though this may complicate installation and permissions and increase costs.
Initial information about potential artwork locations within each site will be provided during the February information session. Teams are encouraged to contact Daniel Coleman (Daniel.Coleman@uga.edu) with questions about potential artwork placement prior to submitting your proposal.
Duration & durability
The proposed artwork must be designed to survive in a wet or flooded outdoor environment for up to one year.
Privileged viewing angle
The artwork may be designed to be viewed from any position, but should encourage viewing from a privileged viewing position.
Researchers will install a camera station at the viewing position which will include a stand for a cell phone or digital camera along with information about the artwork, the environment, and the scientific data collection effort and instructions for submitting photos.
The location of the camera station will be constrained by the needs of the research team, and should be determined in consultation with the research team while developing your proposal prior to submission. The viewing position will be sited so that photos of the artwork taken from it capture a sufficiently large swath of the surrounding landscape, in focus. Please contact Daniel Coleman (Daniel.Coleman@uga.edu) with questions about camera station placement.
Designers are strongly encouraged to consider this viewing position in designing the work. For example: What draws viewers to that perspective? What is special about it?
Encouraging engagement
Designers are strongly encouraged to consider how the public can be encouraged to engage with the artwork and/or the environment in which it is installed. A primary goal of the project is to maximize public engagement, i,e. maximize the number of photos taken by viewers, and encourage engagement throughout the year, during all seasons.
Your proposal should explain how public engagement will be encouraged, through an inherent characteristic of the artwork or other means.
Required element
The artwork must allow for a standard color swatch (example) to be installed near the artwork. This is so that visitor’s photographs can be color balanced for accurate analysis of the environment.
At minimum, the swatch will need to be in the vicinity of the artwork and in the same lighting as the artwork. The swatch may be incorporated into the artwork if desired. The proposal should include a plan for placement of the swatch. The budget need not include the cost of the swatch or installing the swatch if it is not integrated into the artwork.
Budget
A detailed budget for the project must be submitted. The maximum budget is $2500. The budget should be itemized, and provide as much detail as possible about material costs, other costs, and may include an amount for the artists’ time (e.g. an artist’s fee).
Payment will be based on the proposed budget (to a maximum of $2500), and will be arranged with the contact person after the award is announced.
Budgets may include costs beyond the maximum $2500 if confirmed sources of funds to cover additional costs are specified (promise of matching funds, awarded grants, etc.). Projects with costs beyond $2500 plus any additional confirmed sources will be rejected.
Finalized design and permissions
After selection of the winning design team, the design may change to meet unanticipated constraints. Changes will be discussed with the research team. A completed (revised) design should be submitted as soon as feasible to allow sufficient time for any needed approvals.
Installation of the chosen artwork is contingent upon final approval of the completed design by UGA officials. However, submitting design teams are not required to obtain permissions before submitting. We will work with the winning design team to acquire any needed permissions.
How to Apply
Submission form:
Proposal documents
- The project description. (PDF, maximum 32 pages, including images, figures, renderings, etc.) The document should include:
- A provisional title (this may change up to installation of the selected artwork)
- A list of all design team members, if a team submission
- The proposed site (indicate if adaptable to either site)
- A detailed visual and conceptual description of the proposed artwork
- An explanation of how the required element (color swatch) is included
- Technical details about the materials and installation, including suitability for outdoor watery environments, durability, and a plan for installation.
- A statement about how the artwork will encourage public engagement. Provide as much insight into the anticipated public experience of your artwork, and how they will engage with it. Show that you have given thought to maximizing engagement through your visual design or other methods.
- Any photographs, sketches, renderings or diagrams needed to clearly explain the visual and technical aspects of the work.
- Preliminary Budget. (PDF) See Guidelines. Please prepare your budget in a tabular format.
- A CV or artist’s resume for each team member. (PDF). Please include a CV or artist’s resume for each team member, and submit all of them in one single PDF.
- Portfolio of past work. We ask for 5 representative samples of the artist’s or team’s past work. The team need not have previously produced artwork as a team. The samples should collectively represent the artistic or design capabilities of the team.
- For each sample, either:
- Upload a file in one of the following formats: jpeg, PDF, mp4 (for video); OR
- Provide a URL (youtube, vimeo, web page, etc.)
- For each sample, either:
Selection Criteria
- Artistic merit
- Feasibility of the design & capability of the design team to realize the design
- Potential for public engagement
We are interested in artistic projects that intersect with the relevant science (natural infrastructure, ecology, etc.), culture, or history of the site, but this is not a requirement. Projects with cultural or historical relevance are also highly encouraged. The winning proposal will have high artistic merit, demonstrate feasibility, and suggest a high potential for engaging the public.
Evaluation
Proposals will be evaluated by members of the Research Team (see below) with additional evaluators from relevant UGA units.
Our Research Team
Holly Bik, Department of Marine Sciences
Jeb Byers, Odum School of Ecology
Daniel Coleman, Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems
Michael Marshall, Lamar Dodd School of Art
Eric Marty, Odum School of Ecology / Willson Center for the Humanities and Arts
C. Brock Woodson, Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems
