To view this call in PDF form, please click here.

PROJECT SCHEDULE**      

• Request for Qualifications opens - Tuesday, August 20, 2024
• Virtual Info Session for Interested Applicants* - Monday, August 26, 2024 at 12pm MT
• RFQ submission deadline -  Thursday, September 19, 2024 by 11:59pm MT
• Notification of finalist selection -  Early October 2024
• Required finalist meeting -  Monday, October 14, 2024, 2pm MT
• Proposal development -  October - December 2024
• Finalist proposals due - January 2, 2025 by 5:00pm MT
• Required finalist proposal presentation - Wednesday, January 8, 2025, 5-7pm MT
• Commissioned artist contracting - January - February 2025
• Park design, CDs & artwork integration - Winter 2024 – Spring 2025
• Artwork engineering - Spring 2025
• Park construction; artwork fabrication & installation - Summer 2025 – Summer 2026
• Installation completion & ribbon-cutting - Summer 2026

* Attendance to Virtual Info Session is encouraged but it is not an application requirement. 

** Dates provided are estimates based upon current knowledge of preliminary project schedules and are only intended to assist artists in determining their own availability to participate. The above dates in no way represent final approved schedules and are subject to change through future iterations of design and construction phases.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The Salt Lake City Arts Council acknowledges that the land upon which the Salt Lake City Public Art Program operates – the land where we gather, create, and appreciate art – is the traditional and unceded territory of the Shoshone, Goshute, Paiute, and Ute Peoples. The history of this land predates the establishment of Salt Lake City, and we honor the Indigenous Peoples who have stewarded this land for generations. Let us actively work towards dismantling systems of inequality and injustice, as we strive to create a more inclusive and equitable future together.

PROJECT BACKGROUND & SITE DESCRIPTION
The Salt Lake City Arts Council’s Public Art Program, in collaboration with the Salt Lake City Public Lands Department, seeks to commission an artist or artist-led team to create an original, site-specific public artwork for historic Pioneer Park – one of Salt Lake City’s oldest and most continuously used public spaces The selected artist or artist-led team’s artwork and concepts will be integrated into the overall improvements being made for the park, in collaboration and consultation with the project’s landscape architects, key community stakeholder groups, and other City representatives. 

Pioneer Park, nestled in the heart of Salt Lake City, is a cherished urban oasis that will undergo significant improvements to enhance its appeal and functionality. Originally established in 1847, the park holds historical significance as one of the oldest green spaces in Utah’s capital city, reflecting its rich cultural heritage as a place of constant transition and serving as a gathering place for locals and visitors alike. Occupying an entire city block in downtown Salt Lake City, Pioneer Park’s grounds encompass green lawns, mature trees, and meandering pathways, providing an inviting environment for relaxation, recreation, and community engagement. One of Pioneer Park’s most notable features is its role as a cultural hub for the greater Salt Lake metropolitan region, hosting various other cultural events, concerts, festivals, and community gatherings throughout the year.

Throughout its history, Pioneer Park has been influenced by diverse groups of people from Indigenous Peoples to Mormon Pioneers, to subsequent waves of Salt Lake City residents – including immigrants, unhoused communities, business owners, politicians, and more. Pioneer Park is listed on the Local and National Registers of Landmark Sites. Interested artists are encouraged to learn more about Pioneer Park by reviewing the Resources section in this document. 

PROJECT SCOPE 
In 2019, Salt Lake City Council approved $3.44 million in impact fee funding for Pioneer Park and in August 2022, approved an additional $10 million from a $67.5 million Sales Tax Bond. This funding will be used to implement Phase 1 of the Pioneer Park Vision Plan, encompassing the northern end of the park. Improved amenities will include a new playground, plaza, pavilion, ranger station, “shade lawn,” mist fountain, and native plantings. Additionally, historical interpretive and/or other placemaking features, such as stamped concrete, are being considered as part of the design. The project will be pursuing Sustainable SITES certification which is a rating system that guides, evaluates, and certifies sustainability and resilience in the design, development, and management of landscapes and other outdoor spaces. The existing trees are extremely important to the history and future of the park, therefore only limited disturbance is allowed within the tree protection zone as delineated on the Concept Plan. Phase 1 design is underway through 2024, with construction anticipated to begin in 2025. Other items identified in the Vision Plan, like a stage for the pavilion, an improved dog park, a new basketball court, pickleball courts, and more natural areas are expected to be added in the future, pending funding availability.  

Four areas within Pioneer Park’s northern portion have been identified as suitable locations for a public artwork: near the proposed playground (play), in the vicinity of the north or north-east entrance of the park (gateway element), or on or within the footprint of a future misting fountain. Artists may propose another location of their choosing within Pioneer Park Phase 1 area, but they will be required to work with our project design team during the proposal/design development phase to ensure its feasibility and integration within the site.

The public art installation selected through this RFQ process will be the first for Pioneer Park, setting the stage for placemaking and defining the site’s character. The commissioned artwork should be site-specific, not only harmonizing with the park’s unique amenities but also inviting visitors to see and engage with the multiple, layered histories of the park and its immediate neighborhood. While the park bears the name ‘Pioneer,’ the selected artist/team will be encouraged to unearth and utilize the diverse narratives that exist beyond this singular history to create a site-specific artwork for the site. The artwork should illuminate these untold stories and enrich our contemporary understanding of this place. Collaboration with the project’s design team will be essential to seamlessly integrate the artwork into the park’s landscape architecture and fulfill the key goals and objectives of our diverse stakeholder groups.

ARTWORK GOALS
The Salt Lake Art Design Board seeks to commission a site-specific artwork for Pioneer Park that meets some or all the following conceptual and aesthetic goals: 

• Enhances placemaking and contributes to defining the character of downtown Salt Lake City’s primary green space;
• Is inclusive, accessible, and welcoming for individuals of all abilities, incomes, age, genders, and cultural backgrounds;
• Responds to the layered and unique history of Pioneer Park, offering a platform to explore and reveal diverse narratives that contribute to our collective understanding of the site;
• Recognizes Pioneer Park’s significance as a daily gathering place that fosters connections among individuals from the greater Salt Lake metropolitan area and the downtown urban core;
• Considers and incorporates sustainable concepts and materials that will amplify Pioneer Park’s goal to be a green space that responds to our climate challenges;
• Artists may propose another location of their choosing within Pioneer Park Phase
  1 area, but they will be required to work with our project design team during the proposal/design development phase to ensure its feasibility and integration within the site.
• Meets all public safety, structural, and maintenance standards and complies with the Americans for Disabilities Act (ADA), Salt Lake City requirements, and all other applicable laws, codes, and regulations.

ARTWORK COMMISSION BUDGET
The total budget for this commission is $140,000 USD, sourced from Salt Lake City’s CIP/Percent-for-Art Ordinance, which mandates allocating 1.5% of eligible City project funds towards commissioning artists for services and site-specific artwork in new construction projects. 

This amount is inclusive of any and all costs associated with the commission, including but not limited to: the artist’s design fee, consultation fees (such as structural engineering consultation), insurance (including Utah Workers Compensation), tools and materials, fabrication and transportation, installation, building or site modifications, travel to and from the site, per diem expenses, project documentation, and a recommended contingency fund to address unexpected expenses (recommended to be set at 10%).

FINALIST SELECTION CRITERIA
The Salt Lake Art Design Board, in consultation with project stakeholders and Public Lands representatives, will choose up to three finalists to prepare a site-specific artwork proposal for integration into Pioneer Park. 

The selection for commission of an artist or artist-led team is subject to, but not limited by, the following qualifications:

• Professional experience represents a developed and successful body of site-specific public art projects of a similar scope and scale as demonstrated by visual documentation;
• Ability to meet deadlines and budget and to perform work in a timely, professional manner;
• Willingness of the artist to consult and work collaboratively with the Art Design Board, community stakeholders, and City partners to successfully integrate the work into the site;
• Ability to understand sense of place and design in a context-sensitive manner as demonstrated by visual documentation;
• Artist’s process and work reveals something about the world, communicating unique perspective/s, inviting the viewer to question, discover, explore new ideas—the storytelling is compelling, and exploration feels relevant and deeply considered;
• Artist has created works of permanent nature that do not require excessive maintenance or repair costs.
   

PROPOSAL/DESIGN DEVELOPMENT & ARTIST SELECTION PROCESS
Finalists will be required to participate in at least two (2) meetings. The first meeting on Monday, October 14, 2024 is meant to orient them with the project, meet with and ask questions to Arts Council and Public Lands staff, the contracted landscape architecture consultant, and other project & community stakeholders. During this initial meeting, finalists will receive more site-specific information and supplemental documents to aid in the proposal development. 

During the second meeting on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, the finalists will present their site-specific proposals to the Salt Lake Art Design Board and project stakeholders. The site-specific proposal should convey their ideas and plans through scale designs, renderings and/or scale models with a statement that describes, in detail, the project’s intent, proposed materials, fabrication and installation methods, project schedule, and an itemized budget. Finalists will receive a $2,250 honorarium to prepare and present their proposals. This honorarium is inclusive of any expenses incurred for the creation of their proposal, including travel expenses, hotel, shipping, etc.

After proposal presentations, the Art Design Board will recommend an artist or artist-led team, and may designate one alternate, for the commission to the Mayor for final approval. Only the selected artist or artist-led team will enter into an Artist Commissioned Work Agreement with the City. The alternate will enter into a commission agreement only in the case that the City and the selected artist or artist-led team are unable, for any reason and in City’s sole discretion, to enter into the commission agreement.

ARTIST AGREEMENTS & PROJECT ASSUMPTIONS
Finalists will sign a Proposal Design Agreement. If selected for commission, the artist/team will enter into a two-party Artist Commissioned Work Agreement with Salt Lake City Corporation. The selected artist/team must carry general liability and auto insurance and must either provide proof of Workers’ Compensation Coverage or apply for a Workers’ Compensation Coverage Waiver. The commissioned artist or artist-led team must submit engineering drawings for approval prior to the start date of fabrication.

Salt Lake City will retain the right to remove or relocate the artwork as may be deemed necessary in the future. The selected artist/team will retain copyright to their work but will grant Salt Lake City right to reproduction. In the performance of this project under agreement with Salt Lake City, artist/team shall comply with all applicable Salt Lake City requirements, laws, codes, ordinances, and regulations. 

View a sample a sample Artist Commissioned Work Agreement here. 

RESOURCES

• Pioneer Park Improvements – Information about ongoing and planned improvements to Pioneer Park in Salt Lake City, community engagement efforts & survey reports, guiding principles for the project, and conceptual renderings.
  https://www.slc.gov/parks/pioneer-park-improvements/#page-header
• Salt Lake West Side Stories – A serialized and illustrated history of Salt Lake City’s old” West Side—the neighborhood around Pioneer Park—by the Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement.
  https://community.utah.gov/salt-lake-west-side-stories/
• Pioneer Park Cultural Landscape Report (CLR) – The first document of this type for Salt Lake City, the CLR offers an historical and cultural overview of the site and provides recommendations for proposed improvements, maintenance, and operations for the park. https://www.slc.gov/planning/2022/03/07/pioneer-park-cultural-landscape-report/
• Pioneer Park Vision Plan – Process summary and frequently asked questions about the project.
  https://www.slc.gov/parks/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2022/01/Pioneer-Park_Vision-FAQ_1.20.22.pdf
   

RFQ QUESTIONS AND APPLICATION SUPPORT
All questions regarding this Requests for Qualifications (RFQ) may only be directed to Salt Lake City Public Art Program staff at the email address listed below. Artists may be disqualified if any unsolicited contact related to this RFQ is made with a member of the Art Design Board or project stakeholders other than the Public Art Program staff during the selection process.
 

All questions regarding this Requests for Qualifications (RFQ) may only be directed to Salt Lake City Public Art Program staff at the email address listed below. Artists may be disqualified if any unsolicited contact related to this RFQ is made with a member of the Art Design Board or project stakeholders other than the Public Art Program staff during the selection process.

Contact: publicartprogram@slcgov.com

Website: https://saltlakepublicart.org/for-artists/calls-for-artists/

If you do not have access to a computer or WiFi to apply, the Salt Lake City Public Library branches offer free computer and WiFi access. If you require further resources or accommodations to complete the application materials, such as translation and interpretation services to other languages, please email publicartprogram@slcgov.com for assistance.

INFORMATION SESSION: The recording of the applicant information session can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/zBXW5d9iwgI

To access the presentation slides covered during this info session, please click here.

QUESTIONS: All questions regarding this RFQ are to be directed to the Salt Lake City Public Art Program by email at publicartprogram@slcgov.com. Please review the complete Call for Artists document prior to emailing any questions.

View the Questions and Answers received for this project.
 

Application Requirements

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Submissions that arrive on or before 11:59 pm MST on Thursday, September 19, 2024 and meet all the application requirements will be reviewed. 
 

The applicant’s full name and contact information must appear on all submitted materials. Artist-led team applications are welcomed. If applying as a team, indicate the name and contact information of the team’s representative. Each team must be led by a person with a demonstrated history of professional activity as an artist. Teams may not substitute team members after submission unless the Public Art Program consents to any proposed substitution. An artist may not apply as a member of more than one team and may not apply as an individual artist if already applying as a team – one person/one application. 
 

To be considered for this project, applicants must submit all the required materials via the CaFÉ (www.callforentry.org) website. There is no application fee. No other method of submission will be accepted. Assistance using CaFÉ is available online, by email, or by calling 303-629-1166 during business hours.

Any materials not specifically requested as part of this application or exceeding the maximum page length or format requirements will not be considered or reviewed by the Art Design Board and may result in disqualification. Notifications of disqualifications will not be made.

 

1. LETTER OF INTEREST

A letter not to exceed one page (500 words) outlining your interest, perspective, strength, and experience for this project. Letter must include address, email, phone number, and website of artist.

• Describe how your previous work has addressed or considered site-specificity and similar artwork goals as stated for this project;
• If applicable, please provide specific examples of your previous experience for projects of similar site, scope, and/or scale;
   engagement methods and explain what meaningful community engagement means to you;
• Do not submit a proposal for a new commission at this time.

2. RÉSUMÉ OR CV

A résumé or CV, not to exceed two pages, that outlines professional accomplishment and includes two professional references (name, affiliated organization, email address, and phone number) for both individual applicants and teams. 

• If applying as a team, submit a two-page résumé for each team member combined into one PDF.
• References will only be contacted during the interviewing process for the artists/teams selected as finalists.
   

3. IMAGES OF PAST WORK

These images are the primary way the quality of your work is judged. Five to ten (5-10) visuals (up to two videos) of past artwork that demonstrate your qualifications for this project.

• Provide the following information for each: title, year produced, dimensions, budget, medium, location, and a brief description.
• Images of designs for previously proposed projects that were not developed to completion may be submitted but should be clearly marked as such. Previous proposals cannot account for more than 3 of the requested 10 images.
• If applying as a team and the team has not collaborated previously, images of work from all team members as appropriate should be included (please note that teams are limited to 10 visuals total).

Complete all fields in the CaFÉ portfolio section and upload through the "CHOOSE WORK SAMPLES" section. Instructions on how to format images to CaFÉ specifications may be found at https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/uploading-media/

Eligibility Criteria

This Call for Artists is open to all artists or artist-led teams located within the United States regardless of race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, political opinion or affiliation, or mental or physical disability. Strong preference will be given to artists who have experience engaging with community members through their artistic process.