The art selection committee is interested in excellent artwork that incorporates into the existing facility at UF Rec Center. All sites are being equally considered and it is not expected that all sites will receive art for the available budget. All appropriate media that can be installed for the available budget will be considered, including murals, sculptures, light installations, etc. The art selection committee would like to bring forward ideas such as movement, lighting, dynamic, projection, and wow factor!

Site 1: Weight Room Expansion Entrance (blue arch, see video)
Site 2: Weight Room (above windows and above turf track)
Site 3: Existing Bike Rack Area (the ground)

The expansion completion is expected to be July 2022 and the entire building will serve as a hurricane shelter.

A design fee will be provided to finalists and is a separate amount from the listed art budget. The number of finalists will determine the amount available for each design fee.

Application Process

To be considered for the project, initially, artists should submit 6 images of their previous work (or videos if an artwork has sound and motion). Submit the application before midnight Friday, April 29, 2022.

If selected for the next round, artists will be asked to provide:

• Additional images (up to 20 total);
• A current professional resume emphasizing how they meet at least two of the criteria to apply;
• A letter of intent (one page or less);
• Three professional references.

Participating artists must have reached a certain level of expertise and recognition in their medium. Their resumes should illustrate that they have met TWO of the following criteria:

1. The artist’s works are included in private, public, corporate or museum collections;
2. The artist has received awards, grants or fellowships;
3. The artist has completed other public commissions on a similar scale;
4. The artist has participated in exhibitions at major museums or galleries.

About the Site

The SW Rec Center Weight Room Expansion seeks to provide an inviting space for staff, gym members, and alumni while paying special attention to the indoor environment such as air quality, acoustics, and moisture prevention through sustainability best practices. The expansion area is approx. 7000 GSF and will maintain a seamless experience between the existing weight room and the expansion area through visibility, openness, security, and aesthetics. A new turf area will also be included.

The Southwest Recreation Center (SWRC) is a 140,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility. More than two million students have used the SWRC since opening in the Fall of 1994. Featuring a 14,000 sq. ft. Strength and Conditioning Room, Six Indoor Basketball Courts, Five Racquetball Courts, Multipurpose Gymnasium for Indoor Soccer, Handball and Basketball, 15,000 sq. ft. split-level cardio room with personal viewing screens, First Floor includes state of the art cardio equipment, a functional fitness area with kettlebells, light-weight dumbbells, a throwing wall and benches, Second Floor includes state of the art cardio equipment and a 1/9 mile indoor track, Two Massage Therapy rooms, Personal Training studio, Fitness Assessment Center (FAC), Athletic Training Room, Three Activity rooms, Men’s and Women’s locker rooms with digital locks, Day lockers, Social lounge equipped with seating areas, flat-screen TVs, WiFi and a smoothie bar.

About the University of Florida

University of Florida is located in the heart of North Central Florida, the University of Florida (http://ufl.edu) is one of America’s premier public universities and is the first Florida school to break into the list of top 10 best public universities, ascending to No. 5 among ranked public universities, according to the 2021 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings. The University of Florida is one of the largest universities in the United States and students from more than 100 countries attend UF’s 20 colleges and 100 interdisciplinary research and education centers and institutes. UF has a 2,000-acre campus and more than 900 buildings, including the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum-certified building in the state of Florida.