Call for Artists

Fifty fiberglass forms of Maryland's beloved mascot await an array of artistic interpretations bursting with the spirit of creativity and ingenuity that has been at the heart of the university from its earliest beginnings until today.

Finished sculptures will be displayed for approximately six months throughout the campus and at locations across the state and region to highlight the university's connections beyond College Park. The Terrapin sculptures will be auctioned at a grand celebration in fall 2006 with proceeds going to support scholarships for deserving students.

Who's Eligible

Artists, designers, and campus and community groups are eligible to submit a proposal. Artists with Maryland ties (alumni, faculty, staff and students) are especially encouraged to propose a design. University departments and student organizations submitting high quality designs will also be considered.

Terrapin Form Specs and Design Criteria

The molded fiberglass Terrapin forms will be approximately 4.5' in overall height, with a width of approximately 3.5'. The Terrapin body will be about 2.5' thick, and stand on an integrated fiberglass base that is 3.5' x 2' and at least 2.25" thick (Sculpture Diagram PDF file).

Artists have the option of attaching accessories to the fiberglass form so long as they do not pose any danger to the public. Proposed additions must be made clear in the design proposal and the adhesives used to attach any extra pieces must follow guidelines provided by the project to ensure firm, stable attachment. The guidelines are presented in this package.

Designs must be appropriate for family viewing, free of political, religious or sexual messages and content disparaging of third parties. Designs also may not include any direct reference to a specific product or company name, but subtle allusion to generic products or missions is permissible. A design may incorporate University of Maryland trademarks provided use of university trademarks complies with the Guidelines for Use of University Marks, available online at www.trademarks.umd.edu/guidelines.

Artists whose designs are selected will be required to pick up the sculpture forms from a university storage facility and return them upon completion of the design, provide their own production studios, work with approved mediums and finishes, and clear coat the sculpture to assure the longevity of the artwork on the fiberglass surface. All materials must be able to withstand outdoor climatic conditions, and be safe and durable enough for the public to touch.

Review Process

The review process will consist of two stages. First, the Fear the Turtle Artistic Review Committee will review design proposals received by Oct. 7, 2005. This committee is composed of professionals in the local arts community, including members of the university art department, area arts councils and local gallery curators, in addition to two other university representatives.

Designs will be judged on overall creativity with consideration given to visual attractiveness, creativeness of themes—particularly those connecting with University of Maryland pride and state pride—and durability and quality of design materials.

The committee will post approved designs and the artist's name in an online portfolio that will be viewable by the general public. Fear the Turtle Sculpture patrons will review the online portfolio to select the design they wish to sponsor. Committee selection of a design does not guarantee that a sponsor will select the design.

Once a sponsor and artist are successfully matched, they will enter into an agreement with the university and a fiberglass form will be distributed to each artist. All decisions of the committee and individual project sponsors are at their discretion.

Deadlines

All design proposals must be received by Oct. 7, 2005. (Note: the deadline was extended to Oct. 17.)

Artists will be notified of the review committee's decision by Oct. 31, 2005.

Artists will be notified of a sponsor match by Nov. 18, 2005.

Terrapin forms will be made available to winning artists in early December.

Sculptures must be completed and delivered to the university by March 15, 2006.

Artist Honorarium

Artists who are matched with a sponsor will be awarded a stipend of $1,000 to assist with the cost of materials and supplies. The Fear the Turtle Project will not cover any costs artists incur in excess of the honorarium. The stipend will be disbursed in two payments: half when the artist executes the agreement with the university and half upon delivery of the approved, finished form.

Ownership and Copyright

The university will identify the artist in all public uses and displays of the artist's design. The university will be the owner of the fiberglass forms and completed sculptures until they are auctioned off in fall 2006. At that time, the university will transfer physical ownership of the sculptures to the successful bidder.

Artists whose designs are chosen will, as a condition of receiving the fiberglass form, enter into an agreement with the university that will, in part, transfer and assign all rights, title to and interests in the design to the university. The university, in turn, will grant the artist and the sponsor a fully paid, nontransferable right and license to reproduce, distribute, publicly display and create derivative works based on the artist's design or to use images of the design as a sample of their work or philanthropic commitment or other similar noncommercial purposes. The artist and successful bidder shall obtain prior written permission from the university for all other uses of the design and/or sculpture.

Display Locations

Appropriate, high visibility locations throughout the area will be secured to display the terrapin sculptures for approximately six months, from spring to fall of 2006. Each sculpture will include a plaque bearing the name of the artist, the sponsor and the title of the work. Final locations will be determined taking into account the interests of the sponsors and the owners of the venues and the suitability of particular venues for particular sculptures. A list of planned locations will be available online at www.feartheturtle.umd.edu/sculptures.

Application Procedure

Artists must submit the following materials no later than Oct. 7, 2005 to the address provided below:

• A completed application form
• A rendering of the design on the template provided, front and rear view ( a full-page PDF of the template is available HERE.
• A digital file of the rendering 72dpi or higher (PDF,JPG)
• A brief statement (no more than one page) about your interest in public art and this project in particular
• The applicant's current resume or biography
• (Optional) Up to 10 35mm slides (in a clear plastic slide sheet) or digital images of works from the artist's portfolio. The images need not be examples of public art commissions, but should reflect the quality of the artist's work. Images must be labeled with artist's name and title of the work and be accompanied by an annotated list identifying the images, media used, size (HxWxD), date and a brief description if necessary. If slides are provided and the artist wants them returned, a self-addressed stamped envelope with sufficient return postage should also be provided.

Submit application materials to:

Fear the Turtle Artist Selection
c/o 2101 Turner Hall
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742

Direct questions to 301.405.1011 or emailum@umd.edu (include in subject line "call for artists").

Recommended Materials

Paints

• Oil-based enamels
  
• Polyurethane-based paints
  
• Oil-based primer
  
• Suggested application methods: aerosol can, brush or professional spray equipment
  

• Five-minute epoxy
  
• Polyester and polystyrene body fillers (Bondo, Evercoat etc.—also good for sculpting textures and shapes on the sculpture)
  
• Construction adhesives (Liquid Nails, etc.—these products have longer drying times) Note: Adhesives and fillers should be used prior to any priming and painting.
  

• Artists must determine the compatibility of their chosen clear coat with the particular paint they have used. Carefully follow the recommendations of the clear coat manufacturer.