PROJECT OVERVIEW

The Town of Jackson, Teton County and Jackson Hole Public Art announce a competition to commission site-specific artwork(s) for the Stilson Transit Center in the heart of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Stilson Transit Center (STC) is located at a community crossroads: including the movement of humans, wildlife migration, geological forces, and a wild and scenic river.

The STC will serve commuters coming from Idaho, residents traveling to and from Jackson and Wilson, recreationists visiting the world-famous Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Snake River and National Forest, and visitors venturing into Grand Teton National Park.

The artwork will be commissioned by the Town of Jackson and owned by Teton County with public art project administration provided by JH Public Art (JHPA).

The stakeholders invite all interested parties to apply. Artists and artist teams with knowledge of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), who live within this area, and Indigenous artists from the GYE may be given preference.

Artists will be asked to submit their qualifications. A selection panel unique to this project will identify the 3-5 artists whose qualifications best fit the goals of the project. The invited artists will be provided with a stipend to create a site-specific proposal. The selection panel will then identify the concept that is the best fit for the project goals. One finalist will be invited for a site-visit, and to interact with the community as they refine their concept into a final proposal.

BACKGROUND

Jackson Hole has a thriving tourist economy, but limited land is spurring an affordable housing crisis and forcing employees to commute longer distances.  The Town of Jackson and Teton County are investing in innovative transportation solutions like the STC to increase affordability for regional commuters, while advancing the community’s sustainability goals.  The STC is a joint Town/County multimodal hub (completion scheduled for 2026) that will provide modern transit and multimodal options with direct links to regional transit and shuttles, new pedestrian and bike connections, bike parking, and EV Chargers for vehicles and e-bikes.

Teton County/Jackson is located in western Wyoming and is a gateway community to Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park and Bridger-Teton National Forest.  Jackson Hole (the area that encompasses valley including: Hoback, Jackson, Wilson, Moose, Teton Village, and Kelly) is located within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of the last, nearly intact ecosystems in the United States.  Teton County is over 76,000 acres, of which 97% is federally owned.  Tourism is the driving force of the local economy and sales/property tax is the primary funding source for local government services.  Approximately 65% of the sales tax base come from visitors. 

Teton County has approximately 25,000 residents, 8,000 of which are in the town of Jackson.  Jackson is the only incorporated town within Teton County.  A significant number of the residents in Teton County are second homeowners.  According to the Teton County/Jackson Comprehensive plan updated in 2020, the common values of community character are ecosystem stewardship; growth management; and quality of life. Approximately 30% of school-age children in the area are Latino.

Jackson Hole is close to the Fort Hall and Wind River Reservations. The land in Jackson Hole was originally settled by many tribes including Eastern Shoshone and Shoshone Bannock.

PROJECT GOALS

Public art will beautify and humanize the new Stilson Transit Center, which can help boost ridership and improve user experience. Public art will enliven the transit center, visually engaging riders who are waiting to catch a bus or a shuttle.

Public art can also encourage public use of transit, multi mobility, and use of electric vehicles and e-bikes, inspiring people to participate in multimodal/alternative transportation and promote sustainable behaviors. The artwork should complement (not compete with) the surrounding mountain views offered by the transit center and architecture of the building.

Artists are encouraged to consider Jackson Hole’s history, the unique character of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and the specific geological and natural forces of the area, as well as present and past inhabitants of the region.

The Transit Center will be sited near three popular wildlife crossings so artists can explore migration and movement as well.

The artwork will reflect the culture, values, and diversity of the region.

The artwork will advance an understanding of arts and culture as a civic tool, included in this project to enhance community-desired outcomes for alternative transportation in Jackson and Teton County.

SITE DESCRIPTION

Construction of a 2,900 square-foot transit center with an associated 400-space park and ride lot that includes electric vehicle charging stations, pedestrian and bicycle facilities that interconnect to the regional network, and covered bicycle parking with available electric charging opportunities.

POTENTIAL LOCATIONS

• Stand-alone ground-level sculpture at the north end of the building under the roof (surrounding surface is planned to be pavers)
• Exterior wall art for the wood panel sections
• Mural integrated into the landscaped mound at the north end of the building
• Bike shelter parking area
• Interior wall space in waiting area
• Southern end of building integrated into rain garden placed on ground surface
• Between the parking lot and eastern bike path in native vegetation.
• Other options envisioned by the artist will be considered.

ARTIST SELECTION PROCESS

The commissioning process includes 4 phases:

1.   Qualification submission.

2.   Finalist selection, site-specific concept design development, review, and one finalist selected ($600 honorarium for 3-5 artists).

3.   Final Design development ($10,000 for one artist).

4.   Commission Agreement for fabrication and installation ($110,000).

All artists or artist teams who are interested in the STC opportunity are invited to apply to this Call for Artists by submitting their qualifications through the CallForEntry.org website.

The invited artists will be provided with a stipend of $600 to create a site-specific proposal. Finalists will submit their concepts to JH Public Art. Each finalist will be invited to present to the selection panel for 20 minutes. The selection panel will then identify the one artist whose concept is the best fit for meeting the project goals.

Final Design Development $10,000

Inclusive of a site-visit to view the location and to interact with the community. Refinement of their concept into a final proposal, including construction drawings and engineering review.

Art Commission $110,000

Upon review and approval of the Final Design, a total budget of up to $110,000 has been allocated for the Art Commission. This sum is inclusive of all artist(s) fees, insurance, fabrication, installation, engineering, foundations, travel, and all other project related expenses.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

The project will capitalize on the construction of the STC to set a replicable high standard for public outreach and the integration of public art in its transportation systems. The Town of Jackson will build upon its history of meaningful public engagement for public art projects by expanding outreach efforts to its Latino population which comprise a significant portion of the population for Teton County (15.8%) and Jackson (22%).  The Town estimates that the Latino population will compromise 35% of users at the STC.  To ensure that the public art will enhance all users’ experiences, JHPA will recruit a member of the Latino community for the selection panel, create bilingual outreach material, and provide translation services at public meetings.

MEDIA/STYLE/SIZE

The artwork must be made of durable media that requires little to no maintenance aside from annual cleaning. Artwork should be able to be touched if it is within touching distance to passersby.  The artwork should be site-specific and properly scaled to the architecture of the building. Artwork should be visually integrated into the overall design of the space. The building is designed for users of all ages and abilities and the artwork should inspire and engage with a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and abilities.

Application Requirements

Jackson Hole Public Art will facilitate the selection process and the RFQ will be hosted by the Western States Arts Federation CAFÉ. There is no cost to register your profile on CAFÉ and you can update it at any time. To register, visit www.callforentry.org.  CAFÉ provides artists with an easy-to-use system to create a profile with contact information, to upload digital images of their artwork, and to apply to a number of open calls for entry at one time.

 Please label your attachments with your name, not the name of the project, and the title of your artwork. For example: Smith.Tom_Wildflowers.pdf

Letter of Interest: The letter should articulate your interest in this project in particular and ability to work within the timeline and to conduct community engagement. Please limit the letter to 500 words or less, no more than one page.

Images of Work: Please provide 6 images of previously created art that specifically relates to this opportunity. Do not submit multiple images within one slide. Please only submit completed work, not conceptual renderings.

Image List: For each image submitted, please provide the name of the commissioning agency, the date the artwork was completed, primary materials used, and the budget.

Resume: A two-page (maximum) current, professional resume. If a team is applying, please share lead artist's resume.

References: 3 to 5 current references from people you have recently worked with in a professional capacity.

Eligibility Criteria

Artists living and workin in the United States are invited to apply who meet the criteria described below.

QUALIFICATIONS REVIEW CRITERIA

A selection panel  composed of residents, local arts and culture professionals, representatives from the Stakeholder team, and other community members will review the applicants’ qualifications to select the 3-5 applicants whose qualifications, examples of past work, and letter of interest are the best fit for the project.

Qualifications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Demonstrated ability to create original, durable works of art that are engaging, evoke an emotional response and convey a positive visual experience that resonates with the viewer.
• Work samples should demonstrate the style of work the artists or artist teams will propose for this project, their level of workmanship, and excellence in use of materials (please do not submit conceptual renderings, only projects that have been built).
• Responsiveness to the goals of the project as described in the Letter of Interest.
• Artistic merit, originality and creativity expressed in examples of past projects.
• Professional experience working on projects of similar scale, budget, and technical design.
• Ability to undertake the design, creation and installation within the timeline.
• Demonstrated ability to work with stakeholders and community groups.

SELECTION OF FINALISTS

 The same selection panel that identifies the artists to submit site-specific concepts will also select the finalist. In addition to the above stated criteria, the final concepts will be reviewed using this additional criteria:

• Work that is relevant to this opportunity and suitable for the public realm.
• A concept that is engaging and elicits an emotional response from the viewer.
• Connection of the artist to the area.
• Demonstrated understanding of the GYE, history, culture, and people of Teton County.
• Concept that is unique in materials and approach.
• Demonstrated ability to engage with the community and incorporate their feedback into the Final Design.
• Personal commitment to alternative transportation.
• Availability to work within the timeline.
• Addresses the goal outlined in the Project Goals section of this RFQ.