Utah Tech University, in partnership with the Utah Division of Facilities Construction and Management and the Utah Division of Arts & Museums Public Art Program, requests qualifications from professional artists and/or artist teams interested in creating site-specific artwork(s) for the renovated performing arts center in St. George.

The Request for Qualifications with building renderings and site plans can be found here.

UTAH TECH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

The Performing Arts Center was originally designed by FFKR Architects and constructed in 1986, and was part of what was then called The Dixie Center. This complex also included the Burns Arena and the Smith’s Computer Center–on the then-Dixie College campus. The project received diverse public funding from the College, Washington County, the City of St. George, and the Washington County School District. It also received substantial donations from Dr. Mervyn K. and Sue Cox, for whom the facility was originally named. The funding sources reflect the range of community involvement and support for the project and its diverse stakeholders. About a decade after the completion of construction, the University bought the entire Dixie Center and continued to use the Cox Auditorium as a community arts hub and a center for performing arts in the region and Sparano + Mooney Architecture was hired to design an addition and renovation for the facility in 2023.

The venue serves both the University and its student body, as well as community arts organizations. A diverse array of regional events are held at the venue, including concerts, dance recitals, theatrical productions, performances by touring artists, conferences, and University functions. The multi-purpose nature of the facility has limited its ability to optimally serve many of the professional arts organizations that currently use the space. The age, condition, and limitations of the original auditorium also restrict its ability to attract a wider range of performances and to serve its audiences to its fullest capacity. 

In pursuit of creating an exceptional facility that effectively serves both users and patrons, Utah Tech University made the decision to renovate the existing 36,200 SF of the performing arts facility and complete an addition of approximately 15,500 SF. The scope of renovations in the existing building will be to increase restrooms, upgrade and reconfigure performer support spaces, upgrade acoustic treatments in the performance hall, and install balcony seating into the existing audience chamber. The addition will include new expanded lobby space, a ticket office and concessions area, a shared event and rehearsal space, and a new elevator to service the balcony seating.

UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY

Utah Tech University’s history goes all the way back to the settlement of St. George in 1857, when leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asked 38 families to move to the southwest corner of Utah to establish a town and grow cotton. The encampment mall where these pioneers parked their covered wagons, raised their families, and taught their children school lessons is now the center of Utah Tech’s campus. 

When the community was ready for a more formal college in 1909, the LDS Church began construction on the institution, then called St. George Stake Academy. A true community effort, Washington County residents funded $35,000 of the $55,000 project that was built on the corner of Main Street and 100 South and opened September 1911. 

As the institution continued to grow over the years, the community raised funds to purchase the six city blocks where pioneers first settled St. George, and moved the campus to its new home in 1963. In the late 1990s, Washington County residents appealed to the Utah Legislature, this time to petition for the addition of baccalaureate degrees to the college’s associate programs. Thanks to excellent leadership and tireless community effort, the college was granted approval to award bachelor’s degrees in business administration and computer science. The college continued to add baccalaureate programs and just two years after celebrating its centennial gained university status in 2013.

The University continues to grow and adopted a polytechnic approach to education starting in 2016 and master’s degrees in 2018. Today, Utah Tech University’s more than 200 academic programs offer transformative experiences across all disciplines – humanities, arts, education, health sciences, business, and STEM. Utah Tech University students learn by doing, take advantage of real-world learning through industry partnerships, and graduate career ready.

COLLEGE OF THE ARTS

Since the beginnings of the University in 1911, the arts have been an essential component of the school’s curriculum. The College of the Arts at Utah Tech brings together much of the University’s fine arts programming into one structure embodying the university motto of Active Learning, Active Life. Housing academic programs in visual arts, dance, digital film, music and theater, the College offers Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, and Bachelor of Music Education degrees. The programs of the College of the Arts at Utah Tech are accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities while the Music program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music.

ST. GEORGE, UTAH 

Utah Tech University is located in St. George, the principal city of the St. George metropolitan area. The city lies in the northeastern most part of the Mojave Desert, adjacent to the Pine Valley Mountains and near the convergence of three distinct geological areas and ecoregions: the Mojave Desert, Colorado Plateau, and the Great Basin. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, St. George had a population of 95,342, but with its rapidly-growing population, 2024 estimates are closer to 107,000. It is the sixth-largest city in Utah and most populous city in the state outside of the Wasatch Front. 

The Virgin River Anasazi were St. George’s earliest residents, inhabiting the area from approximately 200 B.C. to 1200 A.D. They left behind rock art and ruins of their dwellings. The Paiute tribe arrived between 1100 and 1200 A.D., utilizing the area as a hunting ground for deer, rabbits, and other animals. The Paiutes also grew crops along the riverbeds, including corn, wheat, and melons. In 1776, the Dominguez-Escalante Party became the first recorded European-Americans to visit the area. Fur trappers and government survey parties followed.
St. George became the county seat of Washington County in 1863. Between 2000 and 2005, St. George emerged as the fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States. Today, the St. George region is well known for its year-round outdoor recreation and proximity to several state and national parks.

COMMITTEE STATEMENT

The Art Selection Committee is seeking artists whose work will enhance the designed architectural elements and surrounding area. The Committee expects to find an artist who will bring creative, thoughtful, and unique artwork to the project that communicates with the surrounding space, allowing viewers to immediately recognize the relationship between the art installation and the facility's purpose. Preference will be given to artists who demonstrate high skill and professionalism, showing attention to detail and craftsmanship in their work. Artwork must be safe and durable enough for display in a public space. 

The Art Selection Committee will be receptive to recommendations for the location of the artwork, with the hope that the artist will use the features of the building to their benefit in providing an impactful audience experience. Recommendations from the Committee include:

• The exterior fly tower walls
• The exterior south plaza 
• The north “feature wall” of the main lobby
• The aerial space of the main lobby

Additional information and images about these spaces can be found here. Site plans and renderings are subject to change. Example images are included to demonstrate past uses of similar spaces and should not be taken as suggestions or expectations for proposed artwork.

BUDGET

$170,000 is available for all related expenses of this Public Art commission, including (but not limited to) artist fees, fabrication, support structures, insurance, shipping, travel, lighting, installation, documentation, etc.

ELIGIBILITY

This project is open to professional artists and artist teams; artists who belong to a historically underrepresented population are strongly encouraged to apply. Utah artists will be given additional weight in the selection process. Applicants must have a U.S. Tax ID Number (SSN, EIN, ITIN, or other). 

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

The CaFE application process will prompt you for all necessary documents and information. 

To request an accommodation for a disability, please complete an Accommodation Form at least two weeks in advance of the June 7 deadline. Accommodation forms can be found at artsandmuseums.utah.gov/accessibility. 

DEADLINE

Complete application packages must be RECEIVED by 
June 7, 2024 by 11:59p.m. MT

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 in August 2024 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 Utah Tech Performing Arts Center Art Selection Committee reserves the right to withhold the award of a commission or re-release the call for entries.

Schedule:
June 7, 2024, 11:59 p.m. MDT | Deadline for receipt of preliminary materials
June 25, 2024 | Committee Review and Finalist artist notification
Late August, 2024 | Finalists interviews and presentations
Fall 2025 | Artwork complete
November 2025 | Project substantial completion

ARTIST SELECTION COMMITTEE

Clint Bunnell - Project Manager, Division of Facilities Construction & Management

Jeffery Jarvis - Dean, College of the Arts, Utah Tech University

Brad Last - Assistant Vice President, Utah Tech University

Anne Mooney - Project Architect, Sparano + Mooney Architecture

Paul Morris - Vice President of Administrative Affairs, Utah Tech University

Westley Petty - Executive Director of Event Services, Utah Tech University

Sherry Ruesch - Assistant Vice President of Facilities Management, Utah Tech University

V. Lowry Snow - Community Representative, Former State of Utah Representative

Please do not contact committee members directly. If you have any questions about this or other projects information is available at: Publicart.utah.gov. Or contact: Hannah Barrett at hbarrett@utah.gov. 
 

Application Requirements

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 2 movie files 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 7 deadline. Accommodation forms can be found at artsandmuseums.utah.gov/accessibility. 

Eligibility Criteria

This project is open to professional artists and artist teams; artists who belong to a historically underrepresented population are strongly encouraged to apply. Utah artists will be given additional weight in the selection process. Applicants must have a U.S. Tax ID Number (SSN, EIN, ITIN, or other). Art Selection Committee members and staff of Utah Arts & Museums and Sparano + Mooney 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.