UDOT Ogden Maintenance Facility and Materials Lab- Utah Public Art

Request for qualifications from Utah-based artists or artist teams interested in creating site-specific artwork(s) for the new Utah Department of Transportation Ogden Maintenance Facility and Materials Lab.

The Utah Division of Facilities Construction and Management and the Utah Division of Arts & Museums Public Art Program requests qualifications from Utah-based artists and/or artist teams interested in creating site-specific artwork(s) for the upcoming UDOT Ogden Maintenance Facility and Materials Lab. The Request for Qualifications with building renderings can be found HERE.

UTAH DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
At the Utah Department of Transportation, we keep Utah moving. We aim to give all users of the transportation system choices, so they can get where they want, when they want, in the way they want – safely. Our mission is clear: Enhance quality of life through transportation.

We implement that mission with four distinct outcomes in mind. These outcomes comprise what we call the Transportation Quality of Life Framework:

-Better Mobility
-Good health
-Connected Communities
-Strong Economy

Everything we do, from the way we approach planning to our model for prioritizing projects and funding, centers on this framework. UDOT is recognized as a national leader in the transportation industry, and that is because of more than the condition of our roads and our innovative methods for operations, construction and project delivery. We believe that the way we do things matters and that our biggest successes come through our collective efforts as a team.

OGDEN MAINTENANCE FACILITY AND MATERIALS LAB
The UDOT Ogden Maintenance Facility and Materials Lab will provide critically needed updates, allowing UDOT employees to better serve the Utah public. These additions to the Region 1 campus will include a brand new maintenance building in addition to meeting rooms and office space for managers and other staff. These additions also include a salt storage building, a signals building, and a new materials lab.

Utah residents rely on UDOT to perform vital tasks such as snow and ice removal, asphalt and concrete roadway repair, sign maintenance, pothole patching, and emergency response for highway incidents, among many others. The Ogden Maintenance Facility and Materials Lab will be a much-needed resource for public employees who perform these incredibly important jobs, empowering Utahns to live, work, and drive on safer roadways. 

COMMITTEE STATEMENT
The Art Selection Committee is seeking to commission 2 artworks associated with the development of the UDOT Ogden Maintenance Facility and Materials Lab.

• Interior or Exterior mural to be located at the Maintenance and Signals Building (see site plan on page 6), budget not to exceed $50,000
• Exterior sculpture to be located near the main entrance to the UDOT Ogden Campus, south of the planned Materials Labs (see site plan on page 6), budget not to exceed $101,000

The Art Selection Committee encourages applicants to consider the services that UDOT provides, focusing on the physical labor and hard work necessary to maintain Utah’s roadways. The public art plan for this campus has been developed with the intention to serve UDOT employees and local residents through 2 methods. The selection of an interior or exterior mural has been proposed to celebrate the under-recognized yet crucial service that UDOT road workers provide. This work will be seen and enjoyed by UDOT road workers, admin, and visitors on a regular basis. The additional selection of an exterior sculptural work would be placed along the primary entrance point to the UDOT campus, which is also frequently utilized by neighborhood residents as a through-way. This exterior sculpture could function as a wayfinding marker or as a gathering or recreational spot for employees and neighborhood residents. 

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
$50,000 is available for an interior or exterior mural proposal.
$101,000 is available for an exterior sculptural proposal.

Stated project budgets are 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 Utah are eligible for this commission. Applicants must have a U.S. Tax ID Number (SSN, EIN, ITIN, or other). Art Selection Committee members and staff of Utah Arts & Museums and Method Studios 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. Register at www.callforentry.org and follow the directions for registration and submitting material for the UDOT Ogden Maintenance Facility and Materials Lab 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 two movie files of previous work, a CV or resume, and a Statement of Interest explaining your interest in the project and how your work might relate to the project.  Please indicate in your Statement of Interest whether you are interested in proposing a mural project or a sculptural 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 September 12 deadline. Accommodation forms can be found at artsandmuseums.utah.gov/accessibility.

DEADLINE

Complete application packages must be RECEIVED by 
September 12 by 11:59 p.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 December 10,  2025 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 UDOT Ogden Maintenance Facility and Materials Lab Art Selection Committee reserves the right to withhold the award of a commission or re-release the call for entries.

Schedule:
September 12, 11:59 p.m. MDT | Deadline for receipt of preliminary materials
September 30, 2025 | Committee review and finalist artist notification
December 10, 2025 | Finalists interviews and presentations
Fall 2026 | Artwork completed
December 2026 | Project substantial completion

ARTIST SELECTION COMMITTEE
Ryan Ellsworth, UDOT Project Manager Facilities and Rest Areas
PJ Roubinet, UDOT Director of Maintenance and Facility Management
CJ Connor, UDOT Project Manager Facilities and Rest Areas
Rob Wight, UDOT Director of Region One
Bret Krebs, UDOT Engineering Manager
Tyron McQuiddy, UDOT Roadway Operations Manager
Brad DeMond, Project Manager, Division of Facilities Construction & Mgmt
Rob Beishline, Project Architect, Method Studio
Kellie Bornhoft, 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 
 

Interested artists may submit applications online. Register at www.callforentry.org and follow the directions for registration and submitting material for the UDOT Ogden Maintenance Facility and Materials Lab 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 two movie files of previous work, a CV or resume, and a Statement of Interest explaining your interest in the project and how your work might relate to the project. Please indicate in your Statement of Interest whether you are interested in proposing a mural project or a sculptural 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 September 12 deadline. Accommodation forms can be found at artsandmuseums.utah.gov/accessibility.

Professional artists and artist teams residing in Utah are eligible for this commission. Applicants must have a U.S. Tax ID Number (SSN, EIN, ITIN, or other). Art Selection Committee members and staff of Utah Arts & Museums and Method Studios 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.