Art Commission - Rugby Art Gallery & Museum
Call for Artists - Celebratory Outdoor Interactive Sculptural Installation Commission for Rugby Town
Rugby Borough Council are looking to commission a new outdoor interactive sculptural installation to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Rugby Art Gallery and Museum. This project aims to engage young people, families, and early years groups, and increase town centre engagement, creating memorable experiences for families in the town during this celebratory year.
Total Commission Fee - £18,000 inclusive of artist fee, materials, fabrication and installation.
We are excited to invite UK-based artists with dynamic portfolios of family oriented site-specific, public art installations to submit their creative ideas for this commission. We are looking for a creative mind/s to collaborate and consult with the Rugby Art Gallery and Museum learning team and ‘Mini Tuesdays’ service users to develop a new piece of public art in the town which is both interactive and playful in design.
This artwork could represent the ethos of the building to support all audiences to EXPLORE, CREATE, LEARN and DISCOVER, reflect our collections of contemporary British art and/or local history, or celebrate the benefits of visiting an art gallery and museum more broadly.
Depending on the final design and appropriateness of the space, this installation will be placed within the open space surrounding the building or in a public green space in the town centre. A key outcome however is that wherever located, this installation transforms the space into an interactive experience.
Designed for an outdoor public space, the work must be robust, safe, and accessible for all. Additionally, we seek designs which will require minimal maintenance, allowing the art to thrive in its environment without the need for regular upkeep.
How to apply:
To express your interest in this commission please send a description of your design concept in response to the above brief alongside information highlighting your relevant experience, including past projects and suitability for the commission (no more than two sides of A4), plus any additional images to support this. Please also advise if you have an existing relationship with a fabricator to produce this work, if you do not intend to do so yourself.
A shortlist of artists will then be invited to provide a more detailed statement outlining their approach, a forecasted budget breakdown, and a drawing or visualisation of the proposed design. A fee of £250 per artist is available to prepare this second stage.
Please send your expression of interest to Arts Development at ragm@rugby.gov.uk using the subject line:
Public Art Commission Expression of Interest – Artist Name
Deadline to apply 23:59 on Thursday 27th March, 2025.
Strategic Priorities
We are PROUD, we are AMBITIOUS, we are RUGBY.
This project falls within Rugby Art Gallery and Museum’s 25 Year Anniversary Programme and aims to meet Rugby Borough Council’s strategic priorities to be:
• A Thriving Rugby – to increase opportunities for local and/or independent artists to create new work and develop their creative practices; increasing the town’s public art provision to enhance the public realm and support creative and cultural tourism, as well as local pride among residents.
• A Healthier Rugby - encourage residents to participate in arts and heritage activities to enjoy the associated benefits to health and wellbeing.
• A Fairer Rugby - to make our public spaces more inspiring and welcoming and therefore increase safety; support community cohesion and therefore improved understanding of social value through bringing together our residents around creative and cultural events and projects.
• A Greener Rugby - connect new artworks to the learning provision delivered by Rugby Art Gallery and Museum to enhance the teaching of arts and history in the building and in outreach activities connected to art and the environment; encouraging residents of all ages to enjoy green spaces in the town through the introduction of public art.
Total Commission Fee - £18,000 inclusive of artist fee, materials, fabrication and installation.
We are excited to invite UK-based artists with dynamic portfolios of family oriented site-specific, public art installations to submit their creative ideas for this commission. We are looking for a creative mind/s to collaborate and consult with the Rugby Art Gallery and Museum learning team and ‘Mini Tuesdays’ service users to develop a new piece of public art in the town which is both interactive and playful in design.
This artwork could represent the ethos of the building to support all audiences to EXPLORE, CREATE, LEARN and DISCOVER, reflect our collections of contemporary British art and/or local history, or celebrate the benefits of visiting an art gallery and museum more broadly.
Depending on the final design and appropriateness of the space, this installation will be placed within the open space surrounding the building or in a public green space in the town centre. A key outcome however is that wherever located, this installation transforms the space into an interactive experience.
Designed for an outdoor public space, the work must be robust, safe, and accessible for all. Additionally, we seek designs which will require minimal maintenance, allowing the art to thrive in its environment without the need for regular upkeep.
How to apply:
To express your interest in this commission please send a description of your design concept in response to the above brief alongside information highlighting your relevant experience, including past projects and suitability for the commission (no more than two sides of A4), plus any additional images to support this. Please also advise if you have an existing relationship with a fabricator to produce this work, if you do not intend to do so yourself.
A shortlist of artists will then be invited to provide a more detailed statement outlining their approach, a forecasted budget breakdown, and a drawing or visualisation of the proposed design. A fee of £250 per artist is available to prepare this second stage.
Please send your expression of interest to Arts Development at ragm@rugby.gov.uk using the subject line:
Public Art Commission Expression of Interest – Artist Name
Deadline to apply 23:59 on Thursday 27th March, 2025.
Strategic Priorities
We are PROUD, we are AMBITIOUS, we are RUGBY.
This project falls within Rugby Art Gallery and Museum’s 25 Year Anniversary Programme and aims to meet Rugby Borough Council’s strategic priorities to be:
• A Thriving Rugby – to increase opportunities for local and/or independent artists to create new work and develop their creative practices; increasing the town’s public art provision to enhance the public realm and support creative and cultural tourism, as well as local pride among residents.
• A Healthier Rugby - encourage residents to participate in arts and heritage activities to enjoy the associated benefits to health and wellbeing.
• A Fairer Rugby - to make our public spaces more inspiring and welcoming and therefore increase safety; support community cohesion and therefore improved understanding of social value through bringing together our residents around creative and cultural events and projects.
• A Greener Rugby - connect new artworks to the learning provision delivered by Rugby Art Gallery and Museum to enhance the teaching of arts and history in the building and in outreach activities connected to art and the environment; encouraging residents of all ages to enjoy green spaces in the town through the introduction of public art.