As a state-of-the-art hub of research and learning on campus, the new ECE building will be home to hundreds of students and professors. As with any home, the new building’s inhabitants will benefit from a stimulating environment. The State of Illinois mandated Art in Architecture program will contribute to that stimulating environment with art around the building. “Illinois law mandates that public buildings dedicate ½% of the budget to the acquisition of art by living Illinois artists,” says George Gross, the chair of the Art Acquisition Subcommittee for the new building.

Welcoming visitors to the main lobby of the Beckman Institute, this sculpture by mathematician and sculptor Helaman Ferguson celebrates science.

“The Subcommittee met and selected a subset of artists who responded to the request for proposals. These artists were asked to submit detailed plans for the specific art installations they wish to undertake,” says Gross. Once those artists have submitted their more detailed plans, the subcommittee will meet again to choose which proposals get the go-ahead. “The next meeting will be focused on the art plans for the building interior,” Gross says.

These pieces of art will be showcased in prominent locations around the building, including the plaza in front of the main entrance at the east side of the building, the southwest entrance, and the atrium inside the building’s main entrance. Art in these key locations will create a welcoming, aesthetically pleasing, inspirational atmosphere for everyone who learns, teaches, and researches in ECE’s innovative new home.