The Military - A Patterson Foundation Initiative

Assembly Area Art Guidelines and Submission Process

The Patterson Foundation is providing the design and construction of the assembly area at the Sarasota National Cemetery as a donation to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — National Cemetery Administration. In addition to the many features unique to national cemeteries, there will be a significant installation of contemporary art related to themes of military service and the families of soldiers.

The Patterson Foundation seeks professional artists with significant experience and a body of work at a recognizably high level who are interested in creating art on the themes of soldiers, veterans and their families.

All sites are exterior and subject to the extremes of Florida climate. This is not a memorial space and all of the art does not have to be realistic. Contemporary vocabularies and approaches are welcome. Please refer to the links to documents for more information.

Art Locations Information

Details of specific locations for art within the assembly area are provided below. Each location is listed separately. Budgets are estimates only and do not include the expense of footings/foundations (which are not in the art budget) and are provided to assist potential artists to evaluate their interest and appropriateness for the project. Artists may want to develop an idea that incorporates more than one of the locations and are encouraged to do so. Artists are also encouraged to apply with partners or a team.

There are several sites within the assembly area that are under consideration for art. Each one is described in the following documents. All sites are exterior. The site is open until sunset and will not be used at night. It requires permanent work that will be durable in the Florida climate and require minimal standard maintenance. Art may not include electronic technology, water, or motors.

Submit project-related work. Use password: plazaart

Deadline: There is a rolling deadline to submit up to February 20, 2012. Artists are encouraged to submit earlier if possible.

Art Advisory Group

The Patterson Foundation's Art Advisory Group will assist the foundation in analyzing the commissions and placing the selected art. The art advisory group consists of:

Senior photojournalism faculty member at The Poynter Institute
Public art manager for the City of Tampa
Professor at Ringling College of Art and Design
Senior executive for Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

If you have questions or queries, please contact Ann Wykell, Art Consultant to The Patterson Foundation: anntpf@gmail.com