Call Description

The Utah Division of Facilities Construction and Management and the Utah Division of Arts & Museums Public Art Program, requests qualifications from artists and/or artist teams interested in creating site-specific artwork(s) for the upcoming new Convergence Hall Innovation Campus building. The Request for Qualifications with building renderings can be found here.

CONVERGENCE HALL
“Where Innovation Converges to Solve Tomorrow’s Problems”

Operated through the Nucleus Institute, Convergence Hall will be a landmark Innovation Campus at the intersection of education, government, and industry. The “convergence” of these sectors serves both as the naming inspiration for this project, as well as embodying its core ethos.

Each of Convergence Hall’s three sectors will be represented through a variety of in-house partnerships and physical spaces:

• Education
  
  • Partnerships with national and Utah-based universities
  • On-campus housing for 200+ students
  • Student entrepreneurship opportunities
  • Student labs for innovative problem-solving
• Government
  
  • Offices for numerous government resources and organizations
  • Leadership Policy Lab
• Industry
  
  • Corporate partnerships with some of the world’s leading tech companies
  • Start-up access to a global investor network
  • Focus on emerging technologies, in addition to areas like AI, cybersecurity, energy, and life sciences

THE POINT, UTAH
Convergence Hall will be part of The Point Project, an urban development initiative converting 600 acres of state-owned land into a transformative Innovation Community. This area will be a unique mix of residential, retail, entertainment, civic, and commercial uses, including forward-thinking transportation approaches creating walkable and connected communities. The Point will be situated to provide access to the Jordan River Parkway trail and the Porter Rockwell Trail, in addition to numerous other parks and open spaces. 

COMMITTEE STATEMENT
It is the intention of the Art Selection Committee to commission site-specific work for Convergence Hall through a nationwide search for artists. The Committee is interested in artwork that embodies the idea of “convergence,” visualizing overlapping concepts of innovation and collaboration. Convergence Hall honors Utah's proud legacy of invention, while pushing forward into an expansive future where challenges become opportunities. 

Due to Convergence Hall's location in an upcoming multi-use development, the Committee would like to commission work that can be accessible to the general public. Currently, the Committee remains open to interior or exterior work, as some interior vantage points will provide full views from the exterior. 

Suggested potential locations (site plans and renderings to be found on pages 6-8 of the linked document):

• Interior - 1st Floor Entry Hall
• Interior - 2nd Floor Terrace  
• Exterior - Ground Level North Plaza

The Committee is open to a wide variety of material or installation approaches, and may be interested in commissioning multiple works.

The artwork’s subject matter and content must be appropriate for public exhibition and not contain advertising, religious references, sexual or violent content, or convey political partisanship.

BUDGET
$170,000 is available for the project. This project budget is 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
Professional artists and artist teams residing in the United States are eligible for this commission. Artists living in Utah will receive additional weight in the review 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 or FFKR Architects 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.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Interested artists may submit applications online via CallForEntry.org. 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 one movie file of previous work, a CV or résumé, and a Statement of Interest explaining your interest in the project and how your work might relate to the project. Utah Arts & Museums will not be responsible for delayed applications or damaged electronic files. Faxed or emailed applications cannot be accepted.

To request an accommodation for a disability, please complete an Accommodation Form at least two weeks in advance of the June 2nd deadline. Accommodation forms can be found at artsandmuseums.utah.gov/accessibility.

DEADLINE

Complete application packages must be RECEIVED by 
June 2nd 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 on August 26, 2026, 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 Convergence Hall Art Selection Committee reserves the right to withhold the award of a commission or re-release the call for entries. Questions or assistance requests must be made at minimum 48 hours before the submittal deadline.

Schedule:
June 2, 2026, 11:59pm MDT | Deadline for receipt of preliminary materials
June 22, 2026 | Committee review and finalist artist notification
August 26, 2026 | Finalist interviews and presentations
Spring 2029 | Artwork completed
Summer 2029 | Project substantial completion

ARTIST SELECTION COMMITTEE
Taylor Maxfield |  Project Manager, Division of Facilities Construction & Mgmt
Tom Newman |  Project Manager, FFKR Architects
Angela Smith |  Chief Operating Officer, Nucleus Institute
Cam Dionne |  Director of Marketing, Nucleus Institute
Don Willie |  Director, Point of the Mountain State Land Authority
Ashley England |  Visual Arts Specialist

Please do not contact committee members directly. If you have any questions about this or other projects, information is available at: artsandmuseums.utah.gov/publicart/. Or contact: Hannah Nielsen at henielsen@utah.gov

Images and renderings courtesy of FFKR Architects and Gensler

Application Requirements

Interested artists may submit applications online via CallForEntry.org. 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 one movie file of previous work, a CV or résumé, and a Statement of Interest explaining your interest in the project and how your work might relate to the project. Utah Arts & Museums will not be responsible for delayed applications or damaged electronic files. Faxed or emailed applications cannot be accepted.

To request an accommodation for a disability, please complete an Accommodation Form at least two weeks in advance of the June 2nd deadline. Accommodation forms can be found at artsandmuseums.utah.gov/accessibility.

Eligibility Criteria

Professional artists and artist teams residing in the United States are eligible for this commission. Artists living in Utah will receive additional weight in the review 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 or FFKR Architects 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.