Call for Proposals

The Spirit of Place artwork should reflect Oakland University’s vision, serving as an inspirational symbol of our promise and potential as the university of choice. The artwork will serve to elevate OU’s position as a cultural destination, where bold ideas and human expression flourish through the arts. The artwork should be visually striking and artistically enriching, fostering engagement and dialogue among students, staff, faculty, and the community at-large.

Artist Eligibility

• Individual artists or teams. Teams can include artists working collaboratively with other artists, engineers and/or architects. No more than 3 total artists/team members per proposal. Only one proposal may be submitted for any artist or team member.
• Previous experience with large-scale sculptural and/or outdoor installations.

Site

• West side of the Oakland University Campus Green. Images will be coming soon. Note that the location currently has a path running through it, but there is a plan to remove the paths to make the Campus Green an all-grass area. The final sculpture will not be on or over a pathway.
• The artwork will be highly visible from cars entering OU campus at a main entrance, as well as accessible to people walking through the Campus Green.

Work of Art Specifications

• Low-maintenance, durable materials that must be suitable for the outdoor climate in Michigan, with minimal associated maintenance over the long term.
• No water features, no moving parts, no LEDs.
• Complementary with landscape, existing elements; will serve as a welcoming gathering space.

Budget Details

The total budget that Oakland University has allocated for the project is $350,000.

• $250,000 is allocated to the final artist/team: to include all associated costs of planning creation, and facilitation of the artwork.
• $100,000 is allocated for Oakland University to cover the following costs:
  • Installation, site elements (including but not limited to lighting, electrical, site prep, landscaping), upkeep maintenance, conservation, and potential repairs. 
  • Travel, lodging, meals, and honoraria for finalists to come to OU to view the site, talk with the Spirit of Place committee members, and make public presentations (see the Finalists’ Process).
  • Travel, lodging, meals, and artist payment for the final selected artist/team to come to campus for installation of the artwork (see the Finalists Process). 

First Round Proposals [Due March 20, 2026, 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time]

Email first-round proposals to Maria Ebner-Smith, director of Purchasing, Oakland University: [email protected]. Your email subject line should read “Spirit of Place Proposal.” Use this format to label your files: “Last name, First name, Resume”; “Last name, First name, Proposal letter”; “Last name, First name, Work Samples” or “Portfolio“; Last name, First name, References”. You can make the entire proposal into one PDF if you prefer; if so label it “Last name, First name, Full Proposal”

Proposals should include:

• Artist/Team members resumes or CVs with contact information. If you are submitting for a Team, designate who is the contact person for the team.
• Proposal letter, submitted as a PDF
  • Describe your interest in the project and general vision or plan.
  • Include your ideas about how the project would encourage community engagement and reflect OU values.
• Portfolio, submitted as a PDF, including high-quality examples of relevant work such as:
  • Outdoor installations
  • Large-scale sculptural work
  • Permanent public art installations
• Names and contact information for up to three professional references. They should be able to confirm that the artist/team members have a record of projects completed on time and on budget.
• Important: See the FAQs page for more information on what needs to be in the proposal.

The Spirit of Place Committee, comprised of artists, professors, and university staff from Oakland University, and professionals from major Detroit area art museums, will review Initial proposals based on:

• The originality, clarity, and feasibility of the proposal.
• The reflection of OU values.
• The strength and craftsmanship demonstrated in past work and work samples.

Second Round Proposals [Due June/July 2026]

The deadline will be communicated to artists when they are notified that they are semi-finalists. After reviewing the First-Round applications, the committee will request more detailed Second Round Proposals from a group of 3-5 Semi-finalists. [Important: see the FAQs page for more specific information].

Semi-finalists will be invited to campus to present on their project/practice to the Spirit of Place Committee, and in a more public forum on OU’s campus. Feedback will be gathered from semi-finalist presentations and taken under consideration in the final selection made by the committee. While this part of the process will be implemented to encourage participation and bring more questions from the public to the table, the final selection will be made by the Spirit of Place Committee.

Final Selected Artist

Once the final selection has been made by the committee and announced, a commissioning document will be created for the selected artist to sign, so that they can start the process of creating the artwork. Oakland University will be in contact with the selected artist regarding the commission and further details.

Extended Timeline

• First round proposal: 2:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, Friday, March 20, 2026
• Second round semi-finalist proposals: June/July 2026 [specific date to be announced]
• Site visits/artist talks with semi-finalists: September 2026
• Final artist selection announced: late November-early December 2026
• Installation to begin: Spring 2027

Questions? Visit the FAQs page for additional information.

For additional questions not addressed in the FAQs, contact [email protected].