Ragdale Ring Competition

RAGDALE INVITES ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS TO APPLY FOR A DESIGN-BUILD STUDIO RESIDENCY LEADING TO THE INSTALLATION OF A TEMPORARY, OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE VENUE.

Ragdale, the nationally acclaimed artist residency program in Lake Forest, Illinois, invites architects, artists, and designers to apply for the opportunity to design, build, and exhibit the 2020 Ragdale Ring, a temporary theatre to house summer concerts, performances, and events. We are seeking inventive, site-responsive, large-scale submissions that explore intersections of architecture, sculpture, landscape, public art, and performance disciplines. Proposals that consider contemporary, fanciful, and functional interpretations of the original Ragdale Ring, designed by architect Howard Van Doren Shaw in 1912 as an outdoor garden theatre, are encouraged (see Shaw’s design below).

A jury of architects, artists, and architectural historians will select a single project to realize at full scale on Ragdale’s grounds. The winning designers will receive a $15,000 production grant to fund the project as well as a three-week design-build residency for a team of up to ten individuals. The residency will include a large studio, housing, and three meals per day in May and June 2018. The project must be completed by June 12.

Proposal Deadline: March 22, 2020 | Residency: May 25-June 12, 2020

2020 Ragdale Ring Competition