About the Facility

Located 70 miles from Yellowstone National Park in Powell, Wyoming, Northwest College is one of the state’s 8 community colleges. The 124-acre main campus features 58 buildings, including 4 residence halls and 75 apartments for nearly 720 students and families. Powell is a clean, safe community with a population of 6,393. Its economy is based upon oil, irrigated farming, livestock/ranching, tourism, and agriculture support services. For more information about Northwest College, visit their website.

The new Student Center will replace the current building, which was built in the 1960s. The new facility will overlap much of the existing footprint and will be aligned with current sidewalks in the center of campus. The facility is intended to be used primarily by students, staff, and faculty but does include a community center for public events and gathering. The space is intended to be inviting with a modern dining hall and bright, safe spaces where students can engage in studying, eating, gathering, and leadership. The ground level entry is meant to reinforce the design concept of a grand hall or main communal space.

The building will house an information desk, a flex-space multipurpose community room, a great hall with a grand staircase that wraps a small performance stage, dining and serving areas, and coffee bar. It also includes built in shelves and boxes for art or signage, group study rooms, gaming areas, and student group meeting room with large windows that overlooks the quad.

Interior materials are natural: dark metals and exposed structure, concretes, natural woods, exposed wood trusses, and large light fixtures. Exterior finishes include green metal panel and brick to match other materials on campus and the building features metal bars that extrude out to the quad to the west. The design and materials are natural, light, open, welcoming, warm, and inviting.

For a video of the interior that shows identified locations for artwork, visit the Arts Council website.

Artwork

At the center of the facility is a two-story great hall space with a floor-to-ceiling, double sided fireplace and an adjacent two-story wooden wall. The committee is interested in commissioning work that is integrated into either the fireplace or the wall. Selected finalists can submit a proposal to address one or both of those locations. The committee is specifically interested in a wrap of the lower fireplace structure and mantel or another type of proposed finish. A stone finish is currently planned for the top of the fireplace, but the committee is open to different design ideas or materials.

Proposed artwork, design elements or finishes should not conflict with materials being used in the Student Center. The committee is interested in maintaining the light and open feel of the facility, the use of natural materials, and commissioning work that is timeless. Artists will not be able to change the shape, structure, or size of fireplace or wall.

Project Budget

The total project budget available for artwork is $90,000.00.

Timeline

The selection committee will review the submissions to this RFQ in December 2022. Following review, select artists will be invited in January 2023 to submit a complete formal design proposal, including a budget, timeline, and references. Proposal packets and budgets for finalists must include additional lighting needs, signage, foundation or other structural support (if needed), design fees, material costs, labor for fabrication and installation, and all necessary costs involving planning, completion, delivery, and installation of the project. It is the responsibility of the artist to budget accordingly.

If decided by the committee, in-person or video presentations may take place. There will be modest financial compensation for final design proposals and in-person presentations. Any other travel is the responsibility of the individual artist.

Abatement and demolition of the current Student Center will be complete in early 2023. A 15 to 18 month construction period is expected with substantial completion in mid-2024 and occupancy by the fall of 2024. A specific timeline for fabrication and installation will be established upon selection of the finalist(s). This timeline is subject to adjustment.

The Committee
Artists’ submissions will be reviewed and final selections will be made by a committee appointed by the Wyoming Arts Council and the State of Wyoming. The committee for this project includes administrators, faculty, and staff of the college, artists, community members, architecture and construction project managers, and a Wyoming Arts Council board member.

Application Requirements

Submissions to the RFQ are due November 18, 2022 and must be submitted via CaFÉ. Artists are asked to submit the required documents and images to demonstrate their interest and expertise.

In reviewing submitted RFQ materials, the committee will consider the following:

• The quality of the artist’s portfolio or previous work samples submitted
• The artist’s cover letter and how well it addresses this particular project
• The artist’s experience working with the public art process and demonstrated ability to work with the project architect and facility managers

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility

• This is a regional call for proposals open to artists in western continental states including:  Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
• Wyoming artists will be given preference.
• Applicant must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident and a minimum of 18 years of age.
• Applicant must demonstrate previous experience and expertise through a supporting portfolio submission (resume and images of current or previous work).
• Applicant must be willing to meet project deadlines.
• Applicant must demonstrate an ability to work closely with and accept feedback from project managers, including architect and construction representatives.
• Applicant must be willing to travel for presentations if selected as a finalist.
• If selected for the project, applicant will sign a contract with the State of Wyoming.
• Final artwork becomes the property of the Wyoming State Museum. While artists retain copyright, the State of Wyoming will receive permission to use images of the artwork for state purposes such as publicity of Art in Public Buildings projects.