Art Selection Process

Please click on PAAC Art Selection Process 2022 to view a PDF version of this policy or continue reading below.

Description (What is it):

The Public Art and Artifacts Committee (PAAC) is the MSU entity responsible for the acceptance of art and artifacts on campus, and ensures they properly contribute to public space and are consistent with existing university policies.

Types of art subject to PAAC review:

  • Gifted or Donated Art or Artifacts
  • Specifically Solicited, Commissioned, and Sponsored Art or Artifacts
  • Loaned Art or Artifacts, may include Special Exhibits, Short Term, or Long Term Loans

Projects or actions exempt from PAAC review:

  • Art or Artifacts not meant for display by the University. Examples include but are not limited to, Donations to the Foundation for the purpose of fundraising disposal such as items donated for auction, items which would be in the possession of the Museum of the Rockies, wall wraps which meet the requirements of the Wall Wrap Guidelines.
  • Art procured on State-funded projects through the Montana Arts Council as defined in MCA 22-4-401 through 22-4-408. For art procurement through the Montana Arts Council, PAAC and PDC shall appoint a representative of MSU to participate in the three-member screening committee for art selection and act as a liaison between the State and MSU for relevant matters.

When does PAAC Occur?

PAAC occurs once a month on the first Monday, however, due to the composition of the Committee containing both faculty, staff, and students the meeting date is subject to change.

Who is responsible?

Typically, a Campus Planner is responsible for shepherding a project through PAAC including working with the artist or donator on the proposal form, meeting with building constituents, leading the RFP/RFQ process as appropriate, development of a staff report and presentation at the PAAC meeting, other staff such as a Project Manager (PM), Architect/Designer, or Facilities staff may provide support in the meeting for questions that arise. A Campus Planner should always be involved with items for PAAC.

When should you involve the Campus Planner?

  • Whenever a project is started which will be subject to the PAAC Policy.
  • Whenever a project will result in the need to permanently remove or move art or artifacts.
  • Whenever a donation of Art or Artifacts is proposed either for a specific project or generally for the University.

Tasks/Process Points:

Donations and Loans:

When a donation of Art or Artifacts is proposed to the Foundation or directly to PDC the following steps will be taken to evaluate the piece and receive an action from PAAC.

  • The Campus Planner will coordinate with the donor/loaner to receive a completed Proposal Form.
  • The Campus Planner will coordinate with the Foundation on any tax related paperwork or credits which may be appropriate should the piece be accepted.
  • If a specific location is proposed by the donor/loaner the Campus Planner will review the piece for comments with any appropriate building committee, building supervisor, department, or other affected user. If a specific location is not proposed PAAC will need to propose a specific location which the Campus Planner will review with the appropriate building constituents as noted above.
  • The Campus Planner will work with the University Architect, Work Control, Engineering, and other appropriate reviewers to assess the feasibility of the art in the proposed location.
  • The Campus Planner will draft a staff report including the Proposal Form and appropriate photos of the Art or Artifacts for provision to PAAC.
  • The Campus Planner will present the proposal to PAAC at their regular meeting for review and action.
  • If accepted by PAAC the Campus Planner will coordinate with the donor/loaner to complete an Agreement of Acceptance of Art form.
  • The Campus Planner will submit a Project or Work Request (scope dependent) for installation of the Art or Artifacts in the location designated by PAAC. The installation of the piece shall be included as part of the donation unless PAAC identifies another source of funding.
RFP/RFQ Process:

When Art or Artifacts are being procured through an RFP or RFQ process the following procedure will be used for consistency in process and selection.

  • The selection of art or artifacts shall be reviewed by a 5-member committee composed as follows:
    • Art or Artifacts being selected as part of a University construction project shall be chosen by a committee composed of the University Architect, the Planning Manager, 2 members of PAAC chosen by the committee for each RFP/RFQ, and 1 Building Committee Member.
    • Art or Artifacts being selected outside of a University construction project shall be chosen by a committee composed of the University Architect, the Planning Manager, and 3 members of PAAC chosen by the committee for each RFP/RFQ process.
  • The Campus Planner will develop a draft RFP/RFQ for review and comment by PAAC, after receiving PAAC comment the Campus Planner will finalize the RFP/RFQ for PAAC approval. The proposal should include the specific location for the Art or Artifacts, any specification for size or type of art that may be appropriate, total budget to include installation, the desired timeline for installation, and any other criteria which PAAC may find useful for soliciting and evaluation of proposals.
    • The Campus Planner will work with the Project Architect or University Architect to propose possible locations for art or artifacts during the schematic design phase of the project. These locations will be brought to PAAC for review where they will allocate a percentage or amount of the pre-determined art budget to each location, procurement method, and type (student, professional, etc.) of art for each location. PAAC may also choose to remove locations from the proposal.
  • It will be clearly noted that the identified budget includes installation of the Art or Artifacts.
  • The RFP/RFQ will be distributed through various University measures including email and list servers, University Communications avenues such as social media and campus wide communications, in coordination with the Montana Arts Council when possible, and through other measures as may be appropriate.
  • Proposal review may consist of the ranking of all proposals based on any combination of the following criteria or other criteria specific to the project that the committee may determine:
    • The “Considerations for Acceptance of Art” criteria of the PAAC Policy
    • Quality of the work;
    • Relevance to MSU, Bozeman, or Montana culture, history, heritage, and environment;
    • Artistic resume and submitted works of the applicant;
    • Permanence, safety, and accessibility of the art and in its relationship to the built environment;
    • Other criteria identified by PAAC during development of the RFP/RFQ, examples include but are not limited to:
      • Considerations for acceptance of art outlined in the PAAC Process and Procedures document and noted in the next section of this document;
      • History of the building in which the art will be placed;
      • The future of the building in which the art will be placed, MSU, Bozeman, or Montana;
      • Diversity and Inclusivity;
      • Art which references any of the spaces in the building which are named in honor of an individual.
  • Once Art or Artifacts are chosen by the review committee this information will be brought to PAAC as informational by the Campus Planner.
  • Once Art or Artifacts are chosen by the review committee the art installation will be coordinated by the Project Manager as part of the larger project, or, for standalone art, a PPA will be established by CPDC for project tracking, payment, etc. and the project will be coordinated with work control for installation by the Campus Planner.

Deliverables:

  • Proposal Form
  • PAAC Staff Report
  • Agreement of Acceptance of Art Form
  • RFP/RFQ

Considerations for Acceptance of Art:

The following criteria are outlined in the PAAC Process and Procedures document for consideration by the committee when accepting art or artifacts.

  • Promotes the MSU Public Art and Artifacts Policy’s Mission and Intent.
    • The proposed art or artifacts enriches the educational experience for the MSU community.
    • The proposed art or artifact(s) is of a subject matter or provides a message of interest for installation on campus.
    • The proposed art or artifact offers a diversity of ideas to the MSU community.
    • The collection of the proposed art or artifacts is not out of compliance with any relevant laws or cultural practices.
    • The provenance, as appropriate, of the art or artifacts has been investigated and clear title is obvious.
    • Additional considerations for multiple installations by the same artist:
      • The multiple installations are part of a pre-established theme and plan endorsed by appropriate MSU committees.
      • The endorsed plan stipulates coverage of installation costs.
  • Quality and Presentation
    • The placement of art or artifacts on campus will be carefully considered when initially proposed, however a site location is not a contingency for acceptance of art or artifacts. The installation and placement of art or artifacts will be determined by the PAAC in collaboration with CPDC, Facilities Services, and the UFPB.
    • Site selection will consider the relationship of materials, colors and textures, the enhancement of the campus experience, locations that can provide appropriate climate controls as necessary, and will exclude locations which will result in visually poor and conflicting relationships between the object and the site.
    • The quality of art refers to the overall accomplishment in the art form and content, and the quality of craftsmanship. Pieces with their own merit may not be acceptable if they are in contrast with the general aesthetic atmosphere and character of the University.
    • Works of art must be constructed in a manner that ensures their intended longevity. The making of the art should include the use of correct technical processes and materials which have a sufficient permanence.
    • Works of art must be presented in a professional manner and demonstrate proficient and practiced art techniques.
    • Works of art must include a dedicated display mechanism, apparatus, or pedestal that is appropriately engineered and carefully constructed of durable and appropriate materials.
    • The proposed work of art is of appropriate quality of materials/medium for installation on campus.
    • Artifacts must be intact and of sufficient integrity such that being on display for any period will not lead to deterioration.

How much time should you add to your project schedule for this process?

The Art selection component of your project should be integrated into the project from the start. Identifying locations for consideration during design is an important aspect of effective implementation of this component of the project. This will also allow for the art component of the project to move simultaneously with design, bidding, and construction of the project. If you have any questions consult with the campus planner as early as possible