Call Description

Teton County Justice Center seeks an original artwork suspended in the interior stairwell and possibly a smaller, stand-alone exterior sculpture created by the same artist.  The Justice Center will bring together multiple county and state services, including the 9th District Court, Circuit Court, Clerk of Court, Teton County and Prosecuting Attorney, the Sheriff’s Office, Dispatch, and Detention Center. Designed to be efficient, sustainable, and enduring, the building draws inspiration from Jackson’s mountain heritage while serving as a symbol of safety, justice, and civic responsibility.

Budget

Up to 3 Artists will receive $750 to develop and present a site-specific concept.

Final Design Agreement including site-visit, construction drawings, engineering and permitting will be awarded to one artist for $5,000 per artwork (up to two). 

The Commission Agreement including all costs for fabrication and installation for up to two artworks is $125,000. Artists living in the United States may apply. Wyoming artists living in surrounding commuter communities may be given preference.

Timeline: This is a multi-year construction project and the timeline is subject to change.

• Opportunity Announced September 5, 2025
• Qualifications Due October 15, 2025 (limited to 250 applicants, apply early)
• Finalists Selected to develop site-specific proposals notified by November 15, 2025
• Site Specific Proposals Due January 15, 2026
• Finalist announced by February 17, 2026
• Fabrication, Progress checks, Installation -  2028 dates to be refined

Location / Context

Teton County, Wyoming is located in the northeast corner of the state and is a gateway community to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Jackson is the only incorporated municipality and the county seat of Teton County, Wyoming. The Town of Jackson is located within the larger area known as Jackson Hole, which is the valley surrounded by the Teton and Gros Ventre mountain ranges. Teton County encompasses this entire valley, including Jackson, Grand Teton National Park, and parts of Yellowstone National Park. 

There is abundant wildlife in the area including grizzly and black bears, mountain lions, moose, elk, pronghorn, deer, raptors, and native cutthroat trout. The Tetons are often referred to as the American Alps. Their stunning beauty attracts recreationists including skiers, bikers, hikers, and alpinists.

The Town of Jackson and Teton County have a combined population of 44,000 residents that welcome 4+ million visitors annually who come for access to national parks, wildlife, and ski mountains. Visitation creates a community of service workers who live at earning levels far below the median home price of $2.7 million. Close to 97% of the land in Jackson Hole is federally owned, causing the price of private land to be extremely high. A significant portion of the population has a high level of education, with 97.2% of residents aged 25 and older holding a high school diploma or higher, and 61.2% holding a bachelor's degree or higher. Residents also include distributed workers, a vibrant arts and culture sector, and a significant immigrant population (25% is Latine).

Description of site

The Teton County Justice Center will be located one block south of the Historic Town Square in Jackson’s vibrant downtown. Jackson's Town Square, formally named George Washington Memorial Park, is the cultural, civic, and business heart of our community. Dedicated as a park in 1934, each corner hosts arches made from elk antlers collected by Boy Scouts from the nearby Elk Refuge. The center of the park contains a stone memorial originally designed by Conrad Schwering and others honoring local veterans. The architecture in downtown Jackson includes both western and modern buildings, wooden boardwalks and large cottonwoods and aspens trees. Snow King Mountain creates a beautiful backdrop to the south and is the downtown ski mountain with access to the Bridger Teton National Forest.

About the History of Justice in Jackson Hole

“The Judicial Branch is the branch which reviews the laws as they apply to actual events in the lives of individuals. As envisioned by the founders over two hundred years ago, when the judicial system protects the rights of one, the rights of all remain secure.” https://www.wyocourts.gov/about-the-courts/#tabV2

Key Dates in History relating to the Judiciary in Teton County, Wyoming

• Wyoming Territory’s legal system was established under the Organic Act of 1868, including justice of the peace courts, precursors to today’s local justice system.
• Wyoming was the first U.S. territory to grant women suffrage in 1869
• 1868–1890: Territorial justice courts (justice of peace)
• mid-1880s: Permanent settlers first arrived in Jackson Hole
• 1890: Wyoming becomes a state
• 1880s–1910s: Jackson Valley settlement; informal governance
• 1920: First all-female town council & mayor elected
• 1930: First dedicated county courthouse built
• 1968: New Teton County Courthouse constructed

Description of building

The full scope of county-provided Judicial Services and more will reside in the new 3-story Justice Center in downtown Jackson Hole Wyoming. 

The public services in the Justice Center include:

• District Court, 9th Judicial District, Teton County
• Circuit Court of the 9th Judicial District, Teton County, State of Wyoming (Jackson)
• Teton County and Prosecuting Attorney
• Clerk of District Court
• Teton County Sheriff's Office
• Dispatch
• Detention Center

The primary users of the Justice Center include but are not limited to law enforcement, lawyers, incarcerated, public, victims, civil litigants, concerned citizens, reporters, defendants, victim advocates, families, judges, court staff, public servants, and jurors.

The Justice Center will serve as a symbol of safety, justice, and community, uniting all branches of Teton County’s Judicial System under one roof. The building draws its unique character from Jackson’s alpine and mountain-west heritage – fostering a sense of belonging and highlighting Jackson’s unique identity. Thoughtfully chosen materials embody strength, warmth, and civic character. Built sustainably, this center will support Teton County’s public servants and citizens for generations to come.

This justice center will house Teton County’s Circuit (limited jurisdiction) and District Court (general jurisdiction), which are both state courts in Wyoming’s Ninth Judicial District. Circuit Court cases include but are not limited to misdemeanor criminal cases, civil protection orders, small claims, and civil disputes under $50,000 and traffic citations.  District Court cases include but are not limited to felony criminal cases, family law, juvenile court, probate, adoption, juvenile, general civil actions, civil disputes over $50,000 and appellate review of lower court and agency decisions.  The Jackson Municipal Court is a separate entity addressing select statutory violations as well as ordinance violations. 

Eligibility

The project is open to professional artists, age 18 and over, regardless of residence, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, military status, sexual orientation, marital status, or physical or mental disability. Artist teams are eligible to apply, including teams of artists from multiple disciplines. Teams must include at least one visual artist.

Project Goals

It takes all of us to make justice work, and this commitment to neutrality, fairness, and  equality is a bedrock of our community. The selected artist should be able to realize our highest ideals of a society in this artwork. The artwork should honor those who put their lives in harm’s way for the betterment of others, those who selflessly serve our community’s best interests, those who commit to fairness and the goodness inherent in people and mankind’s ability to reform.

The artwork should represent:

• Access to justice for all
• Civic duty and responsibility
• Commitment to service
• Humanity, fairness, inclusivity
• People empathetically supporting people
• Community safety, strength, and health
• Mutual understanding and respect

A successful artwork will visually connect to the surrounding area and compliment the architecture of the building. The artwork should contribute to a welcoming, inspired, respectful, and productive environment by reinforcing the concept that the public and staff have a right to be heard and a right to be safe, comfortable, respected, dignified, and calm when in the Justice Center. The artwork should foster trust in courts and law enforcement and contribute to our civic identity. 

Artist Selection Process
The commissioning process includes 4 phases:

1. Qualification submission and review
2. Invitation to submit site-specific concepts (3 artists at $750/ each)
3. Final Design development and engineering review ($5000 per artwork up to two total)
4. Fabrication and installation $125,000

All artists or artist teams who are interested in the Justice Center opportunity are invited to apply by submitting their qualifications through the CallForEntry.org website.

The invited artists will be provided with a stipend of $750 to create a site-specific proposal. Finalists will submit their concepts to the selection panel administered by 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 $5,000 (per artwork, up to two original works with preference to the interior suspended work)

This fee is inclusive of site visit, community meetings, refinement of the concept into a final proposal, including submission of a miscellaneous permit to Teton County, construction drawings and engineering review and approval.

Art Commission $125,000

A total budget of up to $125,000 has been allocated for the Art Commission. This sum is inclusive of all the artist(s) design fees, insurance, fabrication, installation, foundations, travel, and all other project related expenses for up to two artworks, the primary suspended piece and a secondary companion piece located outside.

Selection of Finalists

The selection panel will also select the finalist. In addition to the above stated criteria, the final concepts will be reviewed using these additional criteria:

• Work that is suitable for the Justice Center and complements the site and scale of the building.
• Artwork that communicates the themes listed in the goals described herein.
• Appropriateness of materials and style in relation to the architecture of the Justice Center and the surrounding neighborhood.
• A concept that is engaging and elicits an emotional response from the viewer.
• Demonstrated ability to incorporate stakeholder and community feedback into the Final Design.
• Commitment to work within the timeline.
• Addresses the goal outlined in the Project Goals section of this RFQ in their letter.

Media/Style/Size

Suspended artwork

A suspended artwork must be made of durable, permanent, media that is safe and requires little to no maintenance. Artwork should be site-specific and properly scaled to the building. The artist should pay special attention to the position of the artwork as it relates to the viewer ascending and descending the stairs and as viewed from the exterior of the building. The suspended artwork does not need to emit light; however, the artists should work closely with the design team to ensure proper lighting for the artwork is integrated into the building design.

Exterior artwork 

Exterior artwork must be made of durable, permanent, media that is safe and requires little to no maintenance. Artwork should be site-specific and properly scaled to the building and the exterior surrounding areas. The artist should pay special attention to the extreme nature of the weather in Jackson Hole. Suitable materials include steel or stone. 

The Justice Center requires both the commitment of the community and the dedication of the staff to make justice work.  This duality can be reflected in the two artworks. 

Contract Requirements

The commission budget includes but is not limited to: final design, final construction drawings, by a Wyoming licensed engineer (including one round of refinement of design based on stakeholder and engineer input), fabrication, materials, engineering review, shipping, contract labor, installation, insurance, travel expenses necessary to complete the project, final documentation, submissions of a maintenance plan, and any incidental expenses.

The final contract may include and is not limited to the following requirements.

The artist will enter into an agreement with Teton County. The artist will be responsible for all expenses to design, fabricate, and install the artwork. The public art coordinator will assist with obtaining a miscellaneous permit from Teton County, and will coordinate review of the project at key milestones with the project stakeholders to ensure the artwork meets the requirements outlined in this RFQ.

The contract will require that the selected artist carry Commercial General Liability Insurance and an All-Risk Installation insurance policy naming Teton County and Jackson Hole Public Art as additional insured during the project and or they will sign a Risk Release agreement. The team must carry a workers’ compensation insurance policy or sign a waiver.

The artist will ensure their work is warranted from material or manufacturing defects for three years after installation.

In their sole discretion, Teton County reserves the right to alter any aspect of the selection process or overall project in any way for its own convenience at any time. This Request for Qualifications does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract and these provisions are subject to change.

An Artist Information Meeting will be held via Zoom onSeptember 16th at 4:00 PM MTN time. 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88642961294?pwd=brcAnnqzyBnGbrTe60hcEU1LVBgiHa.1

Timeline

This is a multi-year construction project and the timeline is subject to change.

• Opportunity Announced September 5, 2025
• Qualifications Due October 15, 2025 (limited to 250 applicants, apply early)
• Finalists Selected to develop site-specific proposals notified by November 15, 2025
• Site Specific Proposals Due January 15, 2026
• Finalist announced by February 17, 2026
• Fabrication, Progress checks, Installation -  2028 dates to be refined

AMENDMENTS TO RFQ 

Should an amendment to this RFQ become necessary, it will be posted along with all answers to questions received about this RFQ at https://jhpublicart.org/events  “Opportunities & Events”.

It is the sole responsibility of any artist interested in submitting qualifications to check this website for amendments. If the artist does not have access to the internet, they must contact Carrie Geraci to inquire.

Carrie Geraci, carrie@jhpublicart.org, 307-413-1474

Application Requirements

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 artists 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 artist 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.

Eligibility Criteria

The project is open to professional artists, age 18 and over, regardless of residence, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, military status, sexual orientation, marital status, or physical or mental disability. Artist teams are eligible to apply, including teams of artists from multiple disciplines. Teams must include at least one visual artist.

Artists living in the United States may apply. Wyoming artists living in surrounding commuter communities may be given preference.