CODAworx maintains a database of published projects, including many specific to commissioned works in libraries and educational facilities. A review of entries within the last 36 months provides artists, commissioners, developers and architects with insight into the total, as well as the highest and median commission value of art installations occurring in these settings.
Libraries and educational facilities are storehouses of print, audio-visual and electronic materials, whose mission is almost always to connect people with information. Often, libraries and educational facilities commission and manage museum-quality fine art collections. Further, these institutions offer permanent art in public spaces that enhance placemaking, organize gallery shows, showcase performance art, offer hands-on workshops, and more. While commission values are important, a review of select entries in the CODAworx database demonstrates how libraries and educational facilities have embraced all forms of visual and expressive artwork, with the goal of creating the conditions for enhanced creativity, learning and exploration.
Art at the Forefront of Library and Educational Facility Design
The American Library Association affirms that visual and performing arts can be powerful components of library collections and services. The association recognizes that visual and performing arts offers transformative understanding and appreciation of the world’s cultural diversity. Importantly, the association acknowledges that the arts play a vital role in our ability to communicate a broad spectrum of ideas to all people. Erinn Batykefer, formerly of the Library as Incubator Project, describes the role of art in these settings as critical to stimulating creativity. She also advocates for the importance of exposing the whole community to art, with libraries offering much greater access than a private gallery setting.
In the article The Art of the Matter, Batykefer states that “Visible art in the library space, whether through gallery shows, public art or performance, or hands-on workshops, is incredibly important in terms of the ‘incubator library’ — a space where the right conditions for creative thought and new ideas are protected and promoted.” This concept of an incubator space relies on art to represent the connection between information, creativity and innovation, “...making the library a visible place where creativity is valued and nurtured.”
Below, we highlight those works that represent the highest commission values in both Libraries and Educational Facilities, as well as those that reflect the average commission value of projects. Descriptions include references to how these settings have elevated artwork to be an essential element of the learning experience.
Commission Value — Libraries and Educational Facilities
Commission profiles are described below according to total, highest and median values for this category (439 entries with commissions totaling $44,338,03). The reader will find links to projects with the highest commission and to projects that best represent the median commission.
Also provided is an overview of commissions within the individual categories Libraries and Educational Facilities.
|
Commissions Profile: Art Installations in Libraries and Educational Facilities (36 months ending September 28, 2020) |
||||
|
Category |
# |
Total Commissions ($) |
Largest Commission ($) |
Median Commission ($) |
|
Libraries and Educational Facilities (all) |
439 |
$ 44,338,003 |
$1,800,000 |
$132,352 |
|
Educational Facilities |
177 |
$38,962,043 |
$1,800,000 |
$141,680 |
|
Libraries |
87 |
$5,375,960 |
$400,000 |
$89,599 |
The project with the largest commission value ($1.8 million) occurred at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. Modulation integrates visual art as an architectural façade treatment for a new building that simultaneously functions as a daylighting solar control feature. The work consists of custom ceramic frit patterned glass, complemented by shadow box and insulated glass units. Collaboration between the artist and the lighting designer resulted in modulated patterning of the glass and adjusted densities. The architect and the curtain wall glass manufacturer developed three distinct patterns used throughout the project in different combinations for visual variation.
Among all study period projects in the Educational Facilities and Libraries database, an artwork installation at Grays Harbor College best represents the median commission fee at $132,000. Located in Aberdeen, WA, Clearing resides within a within a 15′ diameter skylight at the lobby center of the Gene Schermer Instructional Building. Clearing is a series of colored glass pieces and stainless-steel tubes suspended within the skylight, complemented by embedded aluminum elements in the terrazzo floor below. Lighting for the artwork and artistic elements were integrated into the terrazzo floor. The building and artwork together effectively offer a cohesive and layered multi-sensory experience for the viewer.
Commission Value — Libraries
The largest commission value within the Libraries category (during the 36-month study period) was for Glacial Convergence in Juneau, AK. Created for the State of Alaska, with a commission value of $400,000, the work resides in the State Library Archives Museum. The glass installation covers three separate locations within the building and consists of a glass disc with steel wall; a glass railing system; and a curtain glass wall. The individual pieces are titled Story Bars, Trilogy Towers and Glacial Pond. The three works are fully integrated into the expansive atrium wall and lobby, welcoming visitors to the brightly lit building.
The project at Walker Library, commissioned by Hennepin County, State of Minnesota, has a commission value of $92,000, and is representative of the median commission value for this category. The project goal was to preserve memories of the former Walker Library, celebrate the collective memory of the larger LIBRARY signage and remind visitors of the continued significance of the new building. Consisting of seven 80” x 30” panels made of laminated tempered dichroic glass, the pieces are positioned at different angles in front of the clerestory windows. The abstract patterned panels rotate every hour, visually aligning throughout the day to spell out the words “WALKER” and “LIBRARY.”
Commission Value — Educational Facilities
Modulation, as described above, commanded the largest commission value in this category ($1.8 million). The project goal was to integrate visual art as an architectural façade that simultaneously functions as a daylighting solar control feature while creating a unique character and sense of place. The work reflects the figure / ground rhythms seen in the artist’s observations of the region’s agricultural landscapes. Represented in the glasswork are the freshly plowed furrows of early spring and the first bright white snow among rows of stubble and stalks in the fields. The design team achieved daylighting levels that reduced glare, solar heat gain, and electrical lighting requirements while creating a dynamic and artful visual experience.
Growth of Potential, at the Cleveland State University’s Monte Ahuja College of Business (Cleveland, OH), is representative of the median commission value for this category. With a commission budget of $140,000, the suspended art project consists of aluminum tubing, radiant dichroic acrylic and fluorescent acrylic. Designed to energize the open large atrium space, the work can be seen from the entryway to the upper classrooms. Simple flowing cloud-like frames include colored acrylic that become shadowed on the walls and floor, providing the school of business with a lyrical visual identity. Geometric forms represent clouds as brightly colored 'plumb bobs' move throughout the open atrium space. Groupings of digital graphics panels on the walls depict the Ohio agrarian area and feature the texts of local poets.
Publish Your Projects
CODAworx is a leading authority on commissioned art and maintains a comprehensive database of information regarding RFPs, commissioning entities, budgets, and awards. Tapping into this database enables CODAweekly to feature regular Industry Reports by design segment (commercial, hospitality, healthcare, etc.) that highlights top artists, trends in commission fees, and more.
We encourage you to add information to the CODAworx database by publishing a project to our Project Library or populate data on projects already in the database. Anyone involved in the collaborative process can publish a project on CODAworx. This includes the artist and creative teams, design professionals and other commissioners, and industry resources such as fabricators, engineers, installers, lighting designers, videographers, and more. Potential clients, commissioners, collaborators and your peers will get to know you and your work. They can contact you directly through the CODAworx messaging system.
Join CODAworx
CODAworx is the global online community that celebrates design projects featuring commissioned artworks. Membership packages and pricing plans are designed to meet your needs, regardless of your role in celebrating creative exploration and genius. Join for free with a Basic listing of your projects or become a Basic + member to expand your professional presence. The Pro membership is best for studios winning commissions and seeking to grow further. Last, the Premium membership is for studios seeking to maximize sales and marketing efforts. For details visit our Membership Packages & Pricing page.