ART130900 Larry H. & Gail Miller Arts Center Public Art Project Utah Residents Only - RFQ-RFP

Salt Lake County Arts & Culture Division is soliciting a Request for Qualifications and Request for Proposal (RFQ-RFP) for a public art commission at the Larry H. & Gail Miller Arts Center in South Jordan, Utah. The procurement seeks qualified artists to design, fabricate, transport, and install original artwork for either an interior or exterior location within the new facility that will connect and respond to the Visual Arts Gallery, Classroom Area, and Studio Theater. Deliverables include detailed working drawings within 60 days of contract execution, structural design review and compliance certification within 120 days, in-process documentation and photographs during fabrication, and final artwork installation meeting all applicable building codes and engineering standards. The artist must address aesthetic compatibility, safety and durability, quality and craftsmanship, and scale appropriateness, while ideally incorporating storytelling through movement, inspiration for creative making, unity of visual and performance art, and celebration of the artistic process. The two-phase selection process requires Phase One submission of a letter of interest, artist resume, and up to 10 digital images of past work by June 12, 2026, at 1:00 PM, with Phase One criteria weighted at 40 percent for quality of past work, 30 percent for ability to create appropriate artwork, and 30 percent for comparable project experience. Up to three semi-finalists will be selected and invited to a mandatory virtual meeting on July 9, 2026, followed by full proposal submission by August 14, 2026, at 1:00 PM, with in-person presentations scheduled for August 28, 2026, in Salt Lake City. Phase Two evaluation criteria weight quality of proposal design at 40 percent, alignment with project goals at 30 percent, budget realism at 20 percent, and availability to meet timeline at 10 percent. A pre-proposal optional meeting is scheduled for May 26, 2026, at 4:00 PM, with questions due by June 3, 2026, at 1:00 PM, and an award notice anticipated by September 2, 2026, with artwork installation completion targeted for early 2028.

This procurement is restricted exclusively to Utah residents, defined as individuals maintaining their primary residence in Utah at the time of application and throughout the project duration; for team submissions, the lead artist must meet the residency requirement. Artists are required to maintain a valid U.S. Tax Identification Number and may qualify for County preference points for employee health care benefits, veterans and companywide hiring programs, and women or minority-owned emerging business status with proper certifications. The contract requires artists to maintain commercial general liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence, workers' compensation insurance, and commercial automobile liability insurance, with all design, fabrication, transportation, installation, and insurance costs the artist's responsibility. Up to $145,000 has been designated for artwork acquisition, paid to the selected artist in four equal installments of $36,250 each upon contract execution, approval of working drawings, substantial completion of artwork, and final acceptance following installation; this all-inclusive budget must cover artist fees, materials, insurance, engineering plans, labor, fabrication, permits, travel, and all costs associated with installation. Semi-finalists will receive a $1,500 honorarium to prepare and present proposals, inclusive of all expenses including travel and hotel costs. The artist retains copyright to the artwork but may not reproduce it for sale without County permission, and the County receives ownership of the installed artwork upon final acceptance; funding is contingent on County appropriations and Mayor approval, and the agreement may be terminated by the County for convenience with 30 days' written notice.