The Utah Public Art Program, in association with the Division of Facilities Construction & Management and the Department of Health & Human Services, is seeking artists interested in creating site-specific exterior artwork for the Comprehensive Therapy Building at the Utah State Developmental Center in American Fork, Utah. For a PDF of this RFQ, please click here. This project is open to artists / artist teams residing in the Intermountain West United States to include: Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming.

UTAH STATE DEVELOPMENTAL CENTER
Sitting on 250 beautiful acres, the Utah State Developmental Center (USDC) campus is located at the mouth of American Fork Canyon along the foothills of Utah’s Wasatch Mountains in the city of American Fork. The Developmental Center was established in 1932 under the direction of then Governor Dern. Citizens are served from across the entire state of Utah under the direction of the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. The USDC Mission is to “provide an effective, efficient array of critical services and supports that promote independence and quality of life for Utah’s most vulnerable people with disabilities in partnership with families, guardians, and the community.” The USDC Mission is to “serve as a statewide resource center for people with disabilities while promoting opportunity through choice and outcome based support.” The Developmental Center serves as a resource for the entire State of Utah. 

COMPREHENSIVE THERAPY BUILDING
The purpose of the new Comprehensive Therapy Building is to consolidate a variety of therapy services and programs which are currently spread out across campus in various buildings. The new facility will allow for easier transition of residents and staff between sessions, helping to streamline all services along with increasing direct clinician to clinician case communication, being more energy efficient, and requiring less maintenance time. Therapy programs included in this new facility will include Physical Therapy, Hydrotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Life Skills Center, Recreation, Audiology, Speech, Autism Treatment and Resident Medical Services, including Dental. The site for this proposed new facility is to be in the center of the campus to enhance accessibility to the centralized therapy programs. 

AMERICAN FORK, UTAH
The area around Utah Lake was used as a seasonal hunting and fishing ground by the Ute Indians. American Fork was settled in 1850 by Mormon pioneers, and incorporated as Lake City in 1852. Settlers changed the name from Lake City to American Fork in 1860. It was renamed after the American Fork River which runs through the city, as well as to avoid confusion with Salt Lake City.

Most residents were farmers and merchants during its early history. By the 1860s, American Fork had established a public school, making it the first community in the territory of Utah to offer public education to its citizens. In the 1870s, American Fork served as a rail access point for mining activities in American Fork Canyon. For several decades in the 1900s, raising chickens was an important industry in the city. During World War II, the town population expanded when the Columbia Steel plant was built. An annual summer celebration in the city is still called "Steel Days" in honor of the economic importance of the mill.

COMMITTEE STATEMENT 
The USDC Art Selection Committee has identified the East Exterior Entrance as a location for public artwork(s). The committee hopes to find artwork that is visually engaging and potentially interactive / sensory / tactile. However, any work that is proposed for this new facility will need to consider the sensitivity, vulnerability, and occasionally aggressive or violent conditions these tenants may be facing. The work will need to be as indestructible as possible and/or utilitarian in nature. Artists will need to consider safety standards and ligature resistance in their design. It is hoped the selected artist will honor the interest of the clients, the employees, the architecture, and the site in the development of the work.

This project is open to artists/artist teams residing in the Intermountain West to include: Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Utah artists will be given additional weight in the selection process.

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

DEADLINE
Complete application packages must be RECEIVED on or before July 14, 2023 by 11:59p.m. MDT (THIS IS NOT A POSTMARK DEADLINE)

ARTIST SELECTION COMMITTEE
William Exeter - Program Administrator, Utah State Developmental Center
Ashley Greenwood, Project Manager, Division of Facilities Construction and Management
Kaylee Hunt, Recreational Therapist, USDC
Kolbie Meyer, Living Skills Center Attendant, USDC
Jason Millward, Visual Arts Specialist
Kraig Wilkes, Jacoby Architects 

Please do not contact committee members directly. If you have any questions about this or other projects information is available at: artsandmuseums.utah.gov/public-art-opportunities/ 
Or contact: Hannah Barrett at hbarrett@utah.gov or 801-245-7271

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 to present a full proposal to the committee on October 5, 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 USDC Comprehensive Therapy Building Art Selection Committee reserves the right to withhold the award of a commission or re-release the call for entries.

Schedule:
July 14, 2023, 11:59pm MDT – Deadline for receipt of preliminary materials
July 20, 2023 – Committee Review
July 26, 2023 - Finalist artist notification
October 5, 2023 – Finalists interviews and presentations
Fall 2025 – Project substantial completion 

Application Requirements

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Interested artists may submit applications online via CallForEntry. Register at www.callforentry.org and follow the directions for registration and submitting material for this Public Art Request for Qualifications. Emailed applications cannot be accepted.
This online application process will prompt you for all necessary documents and information. This will include a Letter of Interest, up to ten images of past work, and a CV or resume. This includes up to 10 images and/or up to 1 movie file of previous work, a CV or resume, and a Letter 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 July 14 deadline. Accommodation forms can be found at https://artsandmuseums.utah.gov/accessibility/

Eligibility Criteria

This project is open to artists / artist teams residing in the Intermountain West United States to include: Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Utah artists are strongly encouraged to apply. Art Selection Committee members, staff and Board of Utah Arts & Museums, and employees of Jacoby Architects are not eligible to apply for this commission.