Policy on Installations of Indoor Art

The Space Assignments and Capital Improvements Committee (SACI) fully supports installations of art in public indoor areas of campus buildings. Such installations provide students, faculty, staff and the public an opportunity to view art that is frequently more inventive in content, process, or materials than works on permanent museum display, and allow artists the chance to explore the possibilities and limits of art in the public sphere.

Proposals for indoor installations in building lobbies, atria, corridors, and other public indoor spaces will be submitted to the standing space committee of the building that is proposed as the installation site. This building committee will serve as the review committee and will forward a copy of the proposal to SACI. Responsibility for reviewing installation proposals will lie with the building committee. If no such standing space committee exists, representatives should be identified by the departments that occupy space in the building to form an ad hoc building committee to review the proposal. At the request of the artist or the building committee, SACI will serve in an advisory capacity during the review process.

The following criteria should be used when reviewing a proposal:

  • The artwork should be of high artistic merit. The piece should be unique in conception and execution, and the artist should have an established reputation or be of recognized potential.

  • The installation must comply with all codes and regulations governing seismic, fire, and life safety, and must not pose a hazard to occupants or to the building's structural integrity. Any work hung from a wall or ceiling must be properly supported. If the work is freestanding, the Campus Fire Marshal (Office of Environment, Health, and Safety) must be consulted to evaluate the impact on egress.

  • Prior to installation, funding must be secured by the building committee to repair and restore the site following removal of the artwork. If such work is anticipated to be more than minimal, approval should be obtained in advance from Facilities Services.

Artworks displayed on campus will remain the property of the owner. All costs associated with installation, maintenance, security, and removal of art, as well as repair and restoration of walls and other university property at the installation site, will be the responsibility of the owner. The University will not be responsible for loss of or damage to, an artwork during the installation or exhibition period.

Indoor installations of student artwork related to the instructional program have traditionally been arranged through the local building coordinator and the departments that occupy space in the building, and this arrangement will be continued under the present policy. The exhibition of student work is an essential aspect of studio classes in art and architecture. To accommodate all such classes, SACI strongly recommends that student artwork completed for a course requirement be on public display for a limited period of time. Student installations must comply with all applicable seismic, fire, and life safety codes and regulations.

Proposals for installations that are exterior to the building shall be directed to SACI. These proposals will be subject to the campus's formal public art review process.