Call Description

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

PROJECT SCHEDULE

• Request for Qualifications opens | Thursday, January 15, 2025
• Virtual Info Session for Interested Applicants* | Friday, January 23, 2026 at 12:00 pm MT
• RFQ submission deadline | Thurs. February 17, 2026 by 11:59 pm MT
• Notification of finalist selection | Mid-March 2026
• Pre-Proposal Meeting with Finalists | Late March 2026
• Artwork proposal development | Spring 2026
• Artwork proposals due from finalists | Wednesday, May 27, 2026 by 5:00 pm MT
• Final Artwork Presentation to Art Design Board | Wednesday, June 3, 2026
• Contracting | Early Summer 2026
• Artwork integration for construction documents | Late 2026
• Future community Call for Artists | Late 2026 – 2027
• Artwork fabrication & installation | 2027
• Open Space permitting, bidding, and contracting | 2027
• Installation completion & ribbon-cutting  | Late 2027

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We acknowledge 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 CONTEXT

Salt Lake City has designated approximately three acres of the former Fleet Block for a new public open space serving the Granary District, Central 9th, and Ballpark neighborhoods and the broader city. Located on the southeast corner of the block between 300 West and 400 West and 800 South and 900 South, the site has been the focus of sustained community planning and advocacy for more than a decade. The block takes its current name from its historic use as the City’s fleet maintenance and operations site, which remained active until 2009, and will be renamed through a future process.

The Fleet Block Open Space is envisioned as a vibrant, safe, and restorative public environment that reflects Salt Lake City’s commitment to being a welcoming, inclusive, and just city. Grounded in principles of dignity, fortitude, industry, and social justice, this project seeks to support gathering, reflection, and civic belonging while connecting natural, recreational, residential, commercial, and cultural spaces.

This public art commission is informed by years of City-led community engagement, as well as an ongoing engagement and planning process for the Open Space led by the consultants, Sasaki, in collaboration with Salt Lake City Public Lands and the Salt Lake City Arts Council. Through this process, the site was defined as a place for community and belonging; gathering and learning; rest and climate resilience; justice and accountability; and progress through shared growth. Together, these efforts articulate community values and expectations, including the importance of honoring social justice history, acknowledging lived experience, and ensuring that public art contributes meaningfully to healing, visibility, and collective memory. These engagement outcomes directly shape the goals, scope, and structure of this Call for Artists.

Fleet Block’s history is closely tied to community expression and social justice. In 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, murals memorializing local, state, and national victims of harmful police interactions were created on the site by a collective of anonymous artists. Though temporary, the murals became a catalyst for dialogue and reflection. While the buildings were removed in 2025 due to environmental and structural concerns, the conversations and values the murals generated continue to inform the City’s approach to the open space and this public art commission.

Salt Lake City has also actively engaged with the surrounding community to balance needs and priorities while addressing environmental remediation and site preparation. The future Fleet Block Open Space will continue this approach by integrating thoughtfully designed public art that honors the principles of social justice, reflects the City’s values, and inspires residents to envision and shape a more equitable community.
 

PROJECT SCOPE

The Salt Lake City Arts Council’s Public Art Program, in collaboration with Salt Lake City Public Lands, the Mayor’s Office, and project stakeholders, is commissioning an artist or artist-led team to create a significant public artwork for the Fleet Block Open Space. The artwork should reflect the City’s vision of a welcoming, inclusive, and just community, engaging themes such as dignity, fortitude, industry, and civic belonging and advancing an aspirational vision that centers equity and justice and may be explored through abstraction, metaphor, or experiential design. Artists are encouraged to explore how public space can embody these values through form, material, symbolism, and experience—creating a work that invites reflection, gathering, and connection.

Artists may work across a wide range of media and approaches, including but not limited to sculpture, environmental or land-based art, installation, environmentally responsive work, interdisciplinary or socially engaged practices, and artist-designed functional or utilitarian elements. Specific materials and forms will be developed during the proposal phase in coordination with project partners.

The selected artist or team will:

• Design, fabricate, and install the central or anchor artwork, responding to the physical, social, and cultural context of Fleet Block while embodying values of justice, dignity, resilience, and civic belonging.
• Help define opportunities for future artist interventions by other community artists and actively imagine how these additional artworks, which will be commissioned and installed by the City through a separate process, can interact with, respond to, and reflect upon the anchor artwork.
• Collaborate closely with City staff and open space designers to integrate all artistic elements harmoniously, supporting the overall aesthetic, functionality, and accessibility of the site.
   

ARTWORK GOALS

At its core, the Fleet Block Open Space public artwork should look forward – not to create an endpoint, but to invite reflection, connection, and imagination toward a more equitable and just future. The artwork should meet some or all of the following conceptual and aesthetic goals:

• Embody a compelling, forward-looking artistic vision that reflects values of justice, resilience, and collective civic engagement, inspiring new possibilities for shared futures.
• Serve as a place of connection and belonging, supporting visibility, dignity, and care for all visitors.
• Integrate seamlessly with the site’s landscape and design, enhancing the Open Space as a place to gather, reflect, and imagine a more equitable future.
• Respond thoughtfully to the physical, cultural, and historical context of Fleet Block, while inspiring dialogue, curiosity, and forward-looking perspectives.
• Present a vision for how community artists’ contributions might relate to and enhance the anchor artwork, creating a cohesive and inclusive experience across the site.
• Demonstrate craftsmanship and technical excellence, ensuring long-term durability, public safety, and accessibility in accordance with City standards.
• Invite engagement, exploration, and interaction, encouraging visitors to experience the site as a welcoming and dynamic public environment.
   

ARTWORK COMMISSION BUDGET

The total budget for this commission is $350,000. The inclusion of a public art installation(s) within the future Fleet Block Open Space is supported by the voter-approved Parks, Trails, and Open Space General Obligation (GO) Bond.

This commission 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), preparation and submittal of final artwork proposal, design collaboration throughout the length of the project, insurance (including Utah Workers Compensation), tools and materials, artwork fabrication, transportation & installation, building or site modifications, travel to and from Salt Lake City, per diem expenses, and a recommended contingency fund to address unexpected expenses (recommended to be set at 10%).
 

ARTIST SELECTION CRITERIA & ARTWORK PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

• The selection of an artist or artist-led team is subject to, but not limited by, the following qualifications: Professional experience demonstrating a well-developed and successful body of site-specific public art projects of comparable scope and scale, as evidenced through visual documentation and past work;
• Ability to create conceptually rich and contextually responsive artwork that engages the history, values, and future vision of a civic space;
• Demonstrated experience working collaboratively with project stakeholders, community representatives, and design professionals to develop integrated, meaningful, and durable public artworks;
• Capacity to articulate a cohesive artistic framework in which additional artworks by other community artists may exist in relationship to the primary artwork;
• Ability to meet deadlines and budgets and to perform work in a timely and professional manner;
• Willingness to consult with and work collaboratively with the Salt Lake Art Design Board, City staff, and project stakeholders throughout the entire artwork development process;
• Strong understanding of design within a complex urban environment and the ability to respond sensitively to site, context, and community.

The Salt Lake Art Design Board, in consultation with project stakeholders, will review all properly submitted applications and will select a short list of up to five (5) finalists to advance to the proposal development phase.

All finalists will be required to attend an orientation meeting to learn more about the project and receive materials to support proposal development. Finalists will have the opportunity to conduct site visits and, if desired, undertake additional outreach or research to further inform their proposals.

Finalists will develop site-specific proposals and present them to the Salt Lake Art Design Board and project partners. Proposals should communicate ideas through scaled designs, renderings, and/or models, accompanied by a written statement describing the project intent, proposed materials, fabrication and installation methods, project schedule, and an itemized budget. Proposals should also present a vision for how future artworks by other community artists might interact with, respond to, or complement the primary artwork as part of a cohesive site-wide approach.

Finalists will receive a $3,500 stipend for proposal development, including research, meetings, presentations, and related expenses. The stipend is inclusive of all travel, lodging, and shipping costs. If a finalist is awarded the commission, the stipend amount will be deducted from the total commission budget.

ARTIST AGREEMENTS & PROJECT ASSUMPTIONS

The selected artist or artist-led team will enter into an Artist Commissioned Work Agreement with the City. Throughout the duration of the project, the selected artist or artist-led team must carry general liability and automobile insurance and must either provide proof of Workers’ Compensation Coverage or apply for a Workers’ Compensation Coverage Waiver.

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

View a sample Artist Commissioned Work Agreement here.

RFQ INFORMATION SESSION, 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.

We do our best to respond to inquiries quickly; however, we may not be able to respond in a timely manner during the final days prior to deadlines stated above. Please give yourself ample time to consider your participation in this project and reach out to our staff, at any stage in the process, with any questions or concerns.

Email: publicartprogram@slc.gov

Website: https://publicart.slc.gov/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, such as translation and interpretation services into languages other than English, please email publicartprogram@slc.gov for assistance. Please note: translation and interpretation services require additional time to coordinate, so we encourage artists to reach out as early as possible to ensure support can be provided.

Information session: Interested applicants are invited to attend an online info session, via Zoom, on Friday, January 23, 2026, at 12:00 pm MT:

Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_md3vmIGbR4Gu0cPVeVugLw

Password: 690365

Attendance at this meeting is not required to apply. A recording of the info session will be published on our website afterwards.
 

Application Requirements

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Artist qualifications that arrive on or before 11:59 pm MT on Thursday, February 17, 2026 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 welcome. Each team must be led by an artist with a demonstrated history of professional public art practice. Teams may not substitute members after submission unless approved by the Public Art Program. An artist may not apply as part of more than one team, nor apply as both an individual and a team member.

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 demonstrates experience with site-responsive public art projects of similar scope and scale.
• Explain your approach to creating artwork that reflects and amplifies the history, values, and vision of the Fleet Block Open Space.
• Describe any relevant experience developing artwork that exists in relationship to other artists’ work, broader design frameworks, or multi-phase public art projects (e.g., serving as a lead artist, working within a curatorial framework, or contributing to a larger site-based vision).
  
  Do not submit a proposal, concepts, or ideas for a new artwork as part of this application.

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

ELIGIBILITY: 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 or teams who demonstrate the ability to create artwork that reflects values articulated through prior community engagement for the Fleet Block Open Space, including justice, equity, belonging, and collective healing. Preference will also be given to artists with experience developing projects that thoughtfully respond to a site’s history, context, and community significance through collaboration with project stakeholders.