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    Minnesota Capitol Art Exhibit Advisory Committee

    Call for Proposals for Art Exhibits in the Minnesota Capitol

    The Capitol Art Exhibit Advisory Committee, (CAEAC,) is issuing a Call for Proposals for art exhibits in the Capitol Gallery space, located in Room 320-321 of the Minnesota Capitol Building. A description, including dimensions and elevations of the gallery may be found at http://bit.ly/capitolgallery 

    Proposed exhibits may be in any visual medium, including paintings, photography, sculpture, ceramics, fabric, paper, book arts, printmaking, or any performance medium, including dance, music, spoken word, storytelling, or any other form of artistic expression that can be reasonably and appropriately accommodated in the available spaces and is consistent with artistic themes laid out in Minnesota Statutes 15B.36.

    Requirements for proposed exhibits:

    Exhibits must comply with at least one of the requirements set forth in MS15B.36?that art exhibits should tell Minnesota stories and engage people to: (1) reflect on Minnesota history, (2) understand Minnesota government, (3) recognize the contributions of Minnesota's diverse peoples, (4) inspire citizen engagement, and (5) appreciate the varied landscapes of Minnesota.  Proposals that cannot meet at least one of the statutory criteria will be ineligible.

    Other considerations:

    • All pieces of artwork must be able to be safely transported to, and installed in, the Capitol and not cause harm or damage to the property.
    • All visual artwork will be installed by Department of Administration facilities staff; the artist or curator may provide direction.
    • The exhibit should be sufficiently sized to fit the 320-321 gallery space.
    • Exhibitors will bear the cost to transport their work to and from the Capitol and will not be compensated for use of the work.  The State of Minnesota will cover the costs to install and uninstall the work.

    Deadlines for Proposals:

    All electronic proposals must be received by 11:59 pm on March 20, 2020. Proposals sent by mail must be postmarked by March 20, 2020. All hand-delivered proposals must be received by the Department of Administration, 50 Sherburne Avenue, Saint Paul, MN by 3:30 pm on March 20, 2020.

    How to apply:

    Applicants may apply by using a web form, located at http://bit.ly/CapitolArt, and submitting images of their proposed work via cloud service such as Dropbox, Google Drive Adobe CC or similar service. 

    Those with poor connections to the internet may request a hard copy of the application form by sending an email to Vic Thorstenson victor.thorstenson@state.mn.us.  Hard copy forms and electronic or hard copy images may be submitted in mail or delivered in person to the MN Capitol Art Advisory Committee, 50 Sherburne Avenue, Suite 200, Saint Paul, MN 55155, attn: Vic Thorstenson. 

    Copies of the form, and all supporting materials will be posted to the CAEAC website at http://bit.ly/MnCapArt. Questions about the application process or evaluation procedure may be directed to Vic Thorstenson at victor.thorstenson@state.mn.us. All questions received and answered will be posted to the CAEAC website. 

    Evaluation of proposed exhibits: 

    Submissions will be reviewed by members of the Minnesota Capitol Art Exhibit Advisory Committee. The CAEAC will meet in a public meeting to discuss and vote on art exhibit proposals. Successful proposals will be forwarded to the Minnesota Capitol Preservation Commission, which has the sole authority to approve proposals for display in the Minnesota Capitol gallery spaces.

    About the Capitol Art Exhibit Advisory Committee

    The Capitol Art Exhibit Advisory Committee was established by the 2018 Legislature to advise and make recommendations to the State Capitol Preservation Commission regarding art exhibits to be displayed in specific spaces in the Minnesota Capitol. 

    To develop these recommendations, the committee will receive proposals from Minnesota artists, art organizations, and other individuals and prepare a list of recommended art exhibits for consideration by the commission.

    In accordance with MN Statutes 15B.32, art exhibits displayed in the State Capitol should tell Minnesota stories and engage people to:

    • reflect on Minnesota history;
    • understand Minnesota government
    • recognize the contributions of Minnesota's diverse peoples;
    • inspire citizen engagement; and
    • appreciate the varied landscapes of Minnesota.
     
    Preference will be given to artists currently living in Minnesota or living in Minnesota at the time portrayed. The selection process will ensure that a wide range of artists have a chance to be considered and that, over time, the art reflects the contributions of artists of various demographic backgrounds, including age, disability, gender, and racial and ethnic identity.
     

    Minutes and Handouts from Past CAEAC Meetings 

    Links to agendas and minutes of past meetings
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