The Ragdale Ring Project

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 2015 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 recipient will receive a $15,000 production grant to fund the project as well as a design-build residency for a team of up to ten individuals for up to three weeks. The residency will include a large studio, housing, and three meals per day in May and June 2015. The project must be completed by June 5.