165 Capitol Avenue - Art in Public Spaces Call for Art
The Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) is currently seeking artwork by Connecticut artists for the interior of the State Office Building at 165 Capitol Avenue in Hartford, Connecticut.
Budget: up to $525,000 is available to purchase a wide range of art by several CT artists.
Submission Deadline: 11:59pm ET on January 15, 2027
Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis as soon as entries are received. Artists are encouraged to submit early as artwork will be selected and purchasing will begin during the application submission period.
About the State Office Building located at 165 Capitol Avenue
The State Office Building was originally built in 1930 and is situated across the street from the Bushnell Performing Arts Center, adjacent to the Connecticut State Capitol, and located near Bushnell Park. It is a Neo-Classical style structure, faced with Indiana limestone, and embellished with Art Deco ornamentation. The design signifies solidity and strength as the building stands 5 stories above the plaza entry in height (total of 6 floors) and occupies 350,000 gross square feet.
The building and site underwent significant renovations with a thoughtful design plan that preserve the exterior facade while upgrading the interior with a modern aesthetic and to meet the needs and functions of the constitutional offices that reside in the State Office Building. The agencies located within include the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the Secretary of State, the Office of the State Treasurer, the Office of the State Comptroller, the State Ethics Office, and additional small commissions and committees.
Project Description
The project aims to acquire art for the interior that will be displayed on a rotating basis throughout the building. The interior acquisitions may serve as wayfinding and will be installed in hallways, lobbies, and conference rooms. The goal is to bring vibrancy and a range of styles and mediums into the building with artwork that is rooted in Connecticut identity. Traditional landscapes, portraiture, abstract works and a range of mediums such as paintings, prints, textiles, etc. will be considered. Two-dimensional work will be the focus, but the project may be able to accommodate a small number of interior sculptural pieces.
Eligibility Criteria
Artists who are residents of Connecticut
Artists must be able to complete a W9 with a Connecticut residential address and enter into a contract with the State of Connecticut for the purchase or the artwork. Contracts can only be administered with an artist. Contracts cannot be issued with a gallery representing the artist, an estate, a non-profit, etc.
Application Requirements
Artists may submit up to six (6) images of available art for purchase.
The selection committee will review submissions on a rolling basis and will begin the review soon after the Call for Art is posted. COA will contact artists who are selected by the committee for further review and consideration and additional art may be requested for review.
Artwork does not need to be framed to be considered for purchase. Please make a note of the framing status within the submission.
Artists are not required to 'hold' these pieces. We do not want you to miss out on other opportunities for the sale/exhibit of your work. The committee has been made aware that submitted art may be available for sale or exhibit elsewhere. If a submitted artwork is not longer available then please reach out to Tamara Dimitri by email so we can remove it from the review. We will move through the review as quickly as possible, but we anticipate the rolling review to take place over a few months.
How to use Artwork Archive
Artists can use Artwork Archive to submit a Call for Entry at no cost.
Link to a resource on how to set up a free account.
Link to a resource for artists with existing Artwork Archive accounts.
Contact
For questions about this Call for Art, email Tamara Dimitri at tamara.dimitri@ct.gov
FAQs
COA will provide FAQs to common questions about this Call for Art on an ongoing basis. Feel free to reach out to Tamara Dimitri if you have a question and/or revisit this page for future FAQs.
Rules and Terms
PAYMENT
The Artist shall submit a billing/invoice on his/her letterhead to DECD. The State will process the invoice and make payment to the Artist approximately thirty (30) days after the Work of Art has been inspected by DECD or its duly authorized representative and determined to be satisfactory, and picked up by DECD or its designated transportation contractor. Payments are issued as a check by mail or direct deposit.
WARRANTIES
The Artist warrants that: (a) the Work of Art is solely the result of the artistic effort of the Artist; (b) the Work of Art is unique and original and does not infringe upon any copyright; (c) the Work of Art is an edition of one (1); (d) the Work of Art, or duplicate thereof, has not been accepted for sale elsewhere; (e) the Work of Art is free and clear of any encumbrances from any source whatever; and (f) the Work of Art will be free from faults of material and workmanship for a period of twenty-four months (24) months after payment by the State.
REPRODUCTION
The Artist hereby reserves all rights to graphically reproduce the Work of Art, but shall not unreasonably refuse the State permission to graphically reproduce it. The Artist also reserves all rights under any copyright laws to which the Work of Art may be subject.
Notwithstanding the above, the State shall have the right to graphically reproduce the Work of Art for brochure, newsletters, or other media as produced and distributed by the State. When reasonably possible, any graphically reproduced images used by the State will include a credit line stating the name of the artist(s) and title of the Work of Art.
It is hereby agreed that the Artist will not reproduce the Work of Art in like manner.
Note: The term "reproduce" as mentioned above refers to the creation of an exact copy of the artwork. The term "graphically reproduce" refers to images of the art used for promotional purposes. Artwork may be part of an edition as long as the art is assigned a unique edition number.