Artists Needed for MSU Romney Hall Renovation

Montana’s Percent for Art Program is looking for submissions for public art at Montana State University's historic Romney Hall.

Some much needed renovations are currently under way at MSU's Romney Hall which will allow Romney Hall to serve the campus far into its second century, and one major part of the effort will be the commissioning of new artwork for the building. Established in 1983, Montana’s Percent for Art legislation provides that a portion of funds for new or renovated state buildings will be allocated for public art.

Romney Hall was constructed in 1922 and initially served as MSU's physical education and athletics venue. The architecture contributes to MSU’s historic heritage and has endured one of the most iconic buildings on campus.. The Romney Hall repurposing project respects the historic integrity of the building while preparing it for the next 100 years of serving MSU students.

They are searching for artists and are open to those working in all creative disciplines. The selection process will seek to select artwork appropriate to the history of Romney Hall, MSU-Bozeman and the Bozeman area. The artwork also needs to embrace diversity and inclusion on campus.

The following selection criteria will be considered in this review:

• Quality of work
• Relevance to MSU Bozeman culture, history, heritage and environment.
• Artistic resume and submitted works of the applicant
• Permanence, safety and accessibility (as required for public artworks)

The selection committee is interested in artwork that speaks to the ingenuity and spirit of the people who live, learn and work in the region.

The committee would like the applicants to consider the following themes.

• History of Romney Hall, MSU, and the Bozeman area
• The next 100 years of Romney Hall and MSU
• Diversity and inclusion

The selection committee will prioritize art that is created by veterans or people with disabilities, and their families. Multiple artworks from the same artist may be considered.

If you or someone you know is an artist that would like to submit a proposal, the deadline for submissions is January 8, 2021. Full details for the project’s overview, submission requirements, selection process, timeline, payment and other details can be found here.