Call Description

About the Facility

This facility is located on the Casper Airport grounds located northwest of Casper, Wyoming and will house the Wyoming State Helitack Program. The program includes housing and supporting fire crews through the Wyoming State Forestry Division, which has been involved in emergency services since 2004. It functions as an initial attack, exclusive use helicopter for fire suppression and all risk emergencies throughout the State of Wyoming. The program staff consists of multiple firefighters, a pilot and mechanic. The aircraft used currently is Bell 407HP, type III helicopter. The program has completed twenty operational seasons since inception. Wildfire suppression makes up approximately 90% of the missions. The crew this year was made up of four Wyoming State Forestry personnel, one United States Forestry Service employee, and a rotational BLM employee, contributing to a true interagency program. With safe operations, and continued support, the Wyoming State Helitack will continue to provide rapid response in the emergency service community.

For more information about the Wyoming State Helitack Program, visit their website.

The approved design of the Wyoming State Forestry Helibase provides a more centrally located office space and meeting rooms, an in-house dormitory for response staff, and detached helicopter hangar. For images of identified locations for artwork, visit the Wyoming Arts Council website. 

Artwork

The selection committee has identified the following locations for artwork. The first is an exterior alcove near the southwest corner of the building; this location is visible from a nearby road as well as the facility parking lot. In addition to the exterior space, the committee has also selected a portion of the interior entry space which is the only publicly accessible portion of the facility and will be located in a highly frequented area. 

The committee is specifically interested in procuring a work of art for both the interior and exterior spaces. Both pieces should engage well with the physical location near/in the building, the location in Wyoming, and can be either two-dimensional or three-dimensional. 

Artists should consider the following themes when applying to this call: honoring fire responders, bravery, public service, nature, fire, and aviation. Traditional murals, mosaics, projection/light works, sculptures, and shallow relief are all of interest to the committee, though they are open to all ideas for the spaces. For the interior location, the committee is specifically interested in pieces that have a small physical footprint, but large impact utilizing light and shadow.

When reviewing work the committee will have two considerations for the physical nature of both the interior and exterior works. Because of the nature of the facility, highly reflective objects for the exterior will pose a safety concern for pilots and the control tower. The entryway and publicly accessible portion of the facility is not grand, and thus the artwork should not greatly extend off the wall. 

Proposed artwork, design elements or finishes should not conflict with materials being used in the project. Finish boards will be provided to the selected finalists to inform their work. 

Project Budget

The total project budget available for artwork is $90,000.00. 

Timeline

The selection committee will review the submissions to this RFQ in June 2025. Following review, select artists will be invited to submit a complete formal design proposal, including a budget, timeline, and renderings/drawings/maquettes of the proposed piece. Proposal packets and budgets for finalists must include additional lighting needs, signage, foundation or other structural support (if needed), design fees, material costs, labor for fabrication and installation, and all necessary costs involving planning, completion, delivery, and installation of the project. It is the responsibility of the artist to budget accordingly.

If decided by the committee, in-person or video presentations may take place. There will be modest financial compensation for final design proposals and in-person presentations. Any other travel is the responsibility of the individual artist. This meeting will take place in late July/early August 2025.

Construction has yet to begin with scheduled occupancy in Fall 2026. A specific timeline for fabrication and installation will be established upon selection of the finalist(s). This timeline is subject to adjustment. 

The Committee
Artists’ submissions will be reviewed and final selections will be made by a committee appointed by the Wyoming Arts Council and the State of Wyoming. The committee for this project includes administrators, staff, artists, community members, architecture and construction project managers, and a Wyoming Arts Council board member.

Application Requirements

Submissions to the RFQ are due May 9, 2025 and must be submitted via CaFÉ. Artists are asked to submit the required documents and images to demonstrate their interest and expertise. 

In reviewing submitted RFQ materials, the committee will consider the following:

• The quality of the artist’s portfolio or previous work samples submitted
• The artist’s cover letter and how well it addresses this particular project
• The artist’s experience working with the public art process and demonstrated ability to work with the project architect and facility managers

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicant must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident and a minimum of 18 years of age and fulltime resident of any of the following: Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, or Wyoming.
• Applicant must demonstrate previous experience and expertise through a supporting portfolio submission (resume and images of current or previous work).
• Applicant must be willing to meet project deadlines.
• Applicant must demonstrate an ability to work closely with and accept feedback from project managers, including architect and construction representatives.
• Applicant must be willing to travel for presentations if selected as a finalist.
• If selected for the project, applicant will sign a contract with the State of Wyoming.
• Final artwork becomes the property of the Wyoming State Museum. While artists retain copyright, the State of Wyoming will receive permission to use images of the artwork for state purposes such as publicity of Art in Public Buildings projects.