Professional artist and artist teams are invited to submit letters of interest and qualifications for the creation of site-specific artwork(s) at the Utah Valley University Scott M. Smith Engineering and Technology Building. Utah artists and artists of historically underrepresented populations are strongly encouraged to apply. This project is a partnership of the Utah Public Art Program of the Division of Arts and Museums, in association with the Division of Facilities Construction and Management (DFCM) and Utah Valley University (UVU). Click here for the full RFQ.

ENGINEERING BUILDING
The new, 185,000 square foot, four story Engineering Building on Utah Valley University’s Orem campus is truly a fusion building that combines Mechanical, Civil and Electrical engineering with the Computer Sciences, Digital Media and the University’s Culinary Institute into an active, tech-forward mix of hands-on learning environments that is sure to be the major innovation hub of Utah County.

Perched atop a knoll that overlooks the main campus, the new building will be a literal beacon for students and a Campus Gateway for visitors arriving from the East. The building is situated to take advantage of mountain views to the North, East, and South and views of Utah Lake to the West.

The layout of the building is efficient, compact, and seemingly fabricated from a single block of a material as if from the mind of an engineer. Metaphorically, that simple block is cut, separated, shifted and pulled to become a complex circuit of spaces to accommodate the multitude of spaces required in the building and to take best advantage of its site.

The building’s lobby and main entrance is adjacent to the 120 person lecture-theatre and is also inter-connected to the bustling Student Forum on the West side of the building. This three-story Forum space will function as a place of student study, community gatherings, exhibits, and will be the heartbeat of the facility. The Forum will also include a small café and will have operable walls that will open the space to a West yard that can extend activities to the outdoors.

To the South of the Forum is a soundstage for the Digital Media program. Level four of the facility (over the Student Forum) will include the Culinary Arts restaurant complete with a Show Kitchen. The loading/receiving area for the building is on the North side. The east side is accessory loading for all of the lab spaces on the first level and will be an outdoor engineering yard extension of those same engineering labs. The state-of-the-art labs and classrooms being provided for all the departments in the building will surely expand the learning possibilities for UVU’s Engineering, Computer Sciences, Culinary Arts and Digital Media departments for decades to come.

UVU DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING
The mission of the Engineering program at Utah Valley University (UVU) is to provide a strong engineering foundation with a hands-on component to prepare professionally competent engineers of integrity who serve the engineering needs of the region and the globally interdependent community. Within three to five years of graduation, alumni of the program are expected to have:

• Demonstrated their ability to perform engineering analysis to solve problems and to communicate technical information effectively in an engineering or a professional team environment.
• Advanced professionally by being given more responsibilities and/or have completed a graduate level degree.
• Continued their professional development through workshops and/or have earned professional licensure.
• Served in their professional organizations and/or local communities.

COMMITTEE STATEMENT
A successful artwork proposal will convey and/or demonstrate principles of engineering and/or technology and may include a sustainability component, either in function or content. Examples might include basic machines (pulleys, incline plane, gears, etc.), kinetic work, demonstrations of scientific principles, work which references the geothermal energy source for the building's mechanical system, work which highlights the structural elements or inner workings of the building, etc. Proposed artworks with an interactive element will be prioritized over static installations. The artwork may be singular or consist of multiple works which function together.
Proposed work should reflect and complement the engineering and technology mission of the building and those who use it. Artists should consider the building's location in Utah Valley and propose work reflective of the region. Please review the building site plans and illustrations carefully and consider the unique possibilities afforded by the building’s design.

The Committee has identified several potential locations suitable for an artist's interpretation, the Main Lobby, the Student Forum, and the public corridors in the building, but will remain open to other areas as envisioned by the finalist artists. The Main Lobby sits on the south side of the building at the main entrance. The Student Forum is a three-story space on the west side of the building, overlooking Utah Lake. This space is intended as a gathering space as students enter the building coming from the Main Campus. Finalist artists should consider the media screen on the south side of the Student Forum in order to prevent obstruction. The public corridors run east and west the full length of the building.

UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY
Utah Valley University is the largest public university in the state of Utah, and one of a few in the nation offering a dual-mission model that combines the rigor and richness of a first-rate teaching university with the openness and vocational programs of a community college. The unique model, which focuses on student success, engaged learning, rigorous academic programs, and faculty-mentored research, is transforming higher education by making it more affordable and accessible to students of all backgrounds.

OREM, UTAH
Orem is located 45 miles south of Salt Lake City, Utah. Utah Valley extends from the city of Alpine on the north to Nephi on the south, a span of almost 60 miles. Mount Timpanogos is the crown peak that overlooks Utah Valley University at an elevation of over 11,700 feet. The valley floor sits at about 4,500 feet. Utah Lake is a remnant of Lake Bonneville, which covered much of the mountain west in the Pleistocene Epoch. The Provo River is home to fly fishing and feeds into the lake. Winter sports, hiking, mountain biking, and water recreation abound in the area. Sundance Resort is about 20 minutes east of campus in Provo Canyon.

BUDGET
$166,000 is available for all related expenses of this Public Art commission(s) including (but not limited to) artist fees, fabrication, insurance, shipping, travel, installation, documentation, etc.

ELIGIBILITY
Professional artists and artist teams are eligible for this commission. Utah artists and artists of a historically underrepresented population are strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants must have a U.S. Tax ID Number (SSN, EIN, ITIN, or other). Art selection committee members and immediate families, board members, and employees of VCBO or Utah Division of Arts and Museums are not eligible for this project.

DEADLINE
Complete application packages must be RECEIVED on or before June 23, 2023 by 11:59p.m. MT (THIS IS NOT A POSTMARK DEADLINE)

SELECTION PROCESS AND SCHEDULE
The Selection Committee will review all properly submitted qualifications from which a short list of semi-finalists will be selected. Semi-finalists will be asked present a full proposal to the committee on September 29, 2023 to include concept, budget, and timeline. All semi-finalists will be awarded an honorarium to help defray the costs of the development of the proposal. The honorarium will be applied toward the commission amount for the artist(s) awarded the commission(s.) Utah Arts & Museums will not be responsible for applications delayed or lost. The UVU Engineering Art Selection Committee reserves the right to withhold the award of a commission or re-release the call for entries.

Schedule:
June 23, 2023, 11:59pm MT – Deadline for receipt of preliminary materials
July 13, 2023 – Committee Review
July 14, 2023 – Finalist artist notification
September 29, 2023 – Finalists interviews and presentations
Summer 2024 – Artwork Installation/Project substantial completion

ARTIST SELECTION COMMITTEE
Amanda Bordelon, Faculty Member, Department of Engineering, Utah Valley University
Clint Bunnell, Project Manager, Division of Facilities Construction & Management
Kelly Flanagan*, Dean, College of Engineering and Technology, UVU
Jim Godfrey, Associate Dean, School of the Arts, UVU
Derek Payne, Principal, VCBO Architecture
Frank Young, Associate Vice President, Facilities Planning, UVU

*non-voting committee members

If you have any questions about this or other projects, information is available at: arts.utah.gov/publicart Or contact: Hannah Barrett at hbarrett@utah.gov. Please do not attempt to contact members of the UVU Engineering Art Selection Committee.

Application Requirements

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS AND REQUIRED MATERIALS 
Interested artists may submit applications online via CallForEntry.org  
Register at www.callforentry.org and follow the directions for registration and submitting material for this Public Art Request for Qualifications.  
The application process will prompt you for all necessary documents and information. This includes up to 10 images and/or up to 1 movie file of previous work, a CV or resume, and a Statement of Interest explaining your interest in the project and how your work might relate to the project.  
To request an accommodation for a disability, please complete an Accommodation Form at least two weeks in advance of the June 23, 2023 deadline. Accommodation forms can be found at https://artsandmuseums.utah.gov/accessibility 

Utah Arts & Museums will not be responsible for applications delayed or lost in transit. While all reasonable care will be taken, neither the Utah Division of Arts & Museums nor the UVU Engineering and Technology Building Art Selection Committee will be liable for late, lost, or damaged materials or electronic files. Faxed or e-mailed applications cannot be accepted.  

Eligibility Criteria

Professional artists and artist teams are eligible for this commission. Utah artists and artists of a historically underrepresented population are strongly encouraged to apply. Art Selection Committee members and staff of Utah Arts & Museums and VCBO Architecture are not eligible to apply for this commission. All Art Selection Committee members will declare any conflict of interest and recuse themselves from the vote when reviewing artist applications.