“More than 30 artists submitted examples of their work or proposals for art to be exhibited in the Glick Eye Institute,” said Jeff Rothenberg, M.D., chair of the Glick Eye Institute art committee. “We were very pleased at the variety of pieces submitted. We thought we’d extend the deadline until Feb. 14 to give more artists the opportunity to participate in this project.”
The Glick Eye Institute, currently under construction on the IU School of Medicine campus at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, will be home to the Department of Ophthalmology. The nearly 80,000 square-foot building features ophthalmology and optometry clinics on the ground floor and offers three additional floors for clinical and science research labs, physician office space, conference rooms and a library. The institute was made possible by a $30 million gift from Indianapolis philanthropists Eugene and Marilyn Glick. (For more information on the department or the new building, visit www.iueye.iu.edu.)
The Glick’s support provides $20 million for the building construction and $10 million for an endowment. Those funds cover construction, equipment and furnishings for the first three floors of the building; the School of Medicine has established a fund to purchase art for the building. Additional funds are being sought to complete the fourth floor, which will remain as shell space for the time being.
The building, which can be seen at Glick Eye Institute, was designed by RATIO Architects and features a wall of fritted glass on the south façade. The glass wall, on the second through fourth floors, is a study of glass, color and shading, and mimics how the eye works. The colored glass panes offer more transparency in office spaces and less transparency in lab and other areas, achieved by incorporating shades of yellows and grays. The yellow color recalls the amber tint used in the eyeglasses of patients with decreased visual acuity or cataracts to sharpen their vision. The glass also reflects an interest of Mrs. Glick, who is a long-time collector of art glass.
Dr. Rothenberg said art submitted for the project should depict or express vision, light, color, perspective and or reflection. Dr. Rothenberg is an associate professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at the IU School of Medicine and an artist who works with glass. “We also want to note that Mrs. Glick has donated several pieces of art glass to be displayed in the building,” he said.
“Opening the art process to the Indiana community will give our Hoosier artists the opportunity to showcase their work in a new building that is dedicated to vision,” Rothenberg said. “We were thrilled to learn last week that an anonymous donor had made a substantial donation to the IU School of Medicine to help with this project. We will continue to seek additional support for this worthwhile project.”
Dr. Rothenberg said art can be created specifically for the building or can be existing pieces that meet the requirements of expressing vision, light, color, perspective and or reflection. Details about art sought for the building, spaces identified to showcase art and how to submit artwork to be considered for the Glick Eye Institute, can be found at Glick Eye Institute
“The opportunity to appreciate art is certainly one of the benefits of good vision,” notes Louis B. Cantor, M.D., chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology. “We are hopeful that Indiana artists will be excited about the opportunity to showcase their works in the Glick Eye Institute.”
For more information about the art project, or to submit art for consideration, visit Glick Eye Institute. Artists have until Feb. 14, 2011 to submit their works for consideration. Artists whose work is chosen for display in the building will be notified by Feb. 25, 2011, and will have until the end of May to complete their work. Art will be installed in June and July; the building will be dedicated during a ceremony on Aug. 19, 2011.
FAQs
WHAT: Request for proposals from Indiana artists or artists who trained in Indiana to submit art to be considered for inclusion in the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute at the Indiana School of Medicine. All art must depict or express vision, light, color, perspective and/or reflection.
WHEN: Artists should submit examples of their work and proposals for work to be included in the Glick Eye Institute by Feb. 14, 2011
HOW: Artwork can be submitted at Glick Eye Institute
FMI: The website Glick Eye Institute contains the full Request for Proposal, FAQs, renderings of the building and spaces where art can be displayed