Snow College Social Sciences Building - Utah Public Art

Request for qualifications from artists or artist teams interested in creating site-specific artwork(s) for the new Snow College Social Sciences Building.

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 Snow College Social Sciences Building. The Request for Qualifications with building renderings can be found HERE.

SNOW COLLEGE, EPHRAIM, UT
Established in 1888 as Sanpete Stake Academy, Snow College has always held an important place in rural Utah, with the original school being founded entirely through community donations. Snow College has since grown to offer numerous certifications, associate degrees, and select baccalaureate programs to its nearly 6,000 students annually. Perhaps most known for its academic excellence in fields like engineering, health professions, and the arts, Snow College remains the academic, athletic, and cultural heart of Central Utah.

Students attending Snow College enjoy access to a number of study abroad programs, internships, and affordable tuition and housing. Located in close proximity to many natural outdoor recreation areas, Snow College prioritizes a healthy student culture as an important facet of the educational experience.

SNOW COLLEGE SOCIAL SCIENCES
The Snow College Division of Social and Behavioral Science encapsulates four academic departments: Education & Family Studies, Exercise Science, Social Science, and Behavioral Science. Within these departments, students are offered a variety of programs such as political science, economics, and criminal justice. The social sciences educate students on effective communication and critical thinking skills, empowering them to be thoughtful and engaged citizens. Graduating students leave their college not just as valuable additions to the workforce, but as individuals strengthened with a more profound understanding of our social structures, institutions, and communities.

Social sciences courses have a high enrollment rate at Snow College, with 42% of all Snow College students taking a social science course at some point during their undergraduate education. This new building will be crucial in accommodating this attendance increase, in addition to providing desperately needed facility upgrades.

COMMITTEE STATEMENT
The Art Selection Committee intends to commission site-specific artwork through a nationwide search for qualified artists. The focus will be on works that enhance the educational and communal environment of the new Social Science Building at Snow College’s Ephraim campus. Artists are encouraged to consider themes that resonate with the area’s rich pioneer heritage, deep agricultural history, and unique cultural traditions. Artwork should reflect the distinctive character of the region today—its hardworking culture, the thriving arts community, and the surrounding natural beauty. 

The Social Sciences Building will be a vital educational and community-centered resource, both for Snow College students and the Ephraim community at large. The new facilities will support not only higher education programs, but also provide early childhood education opportunities to local residents. Community is a powerful driving force for this project. The academic discipline of social sciences centers community as being pivotal to the function of our daily lives, our psychologies, and our social structures. The concept of “community” is clearly captured in the originating history of Snow College as a crowd-funded project meant to improve the lives of Ephraim’s young people. By engaging with these histories and environments, commissioned works will enrich the daily experience of students, faculty, and visitors, grounding the building in its community while inspiring dialogue, reflection, and a sense of belonging.

Artworks may be considered for the following locations:

• Exterior works to be installed in the student seating area on the east side of the building or along the north or west exterior landscaping areas of the build site.
• Interior main lobby entry to the building. Only single-story areas are available for installation.
• Distributed throughout the interior of the building, creating a “seek and find” approach to artwork discovery.

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
$164,000 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 residing 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 and VCBO Architects are not eligible to apply for this commission. All art selection committee members will declare any conflicts 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 Snow College Social Sciences 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 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 November 25th deadline. Accommodation forms can be found at artsandmuseums.utah.gov/accessibility.

DEADLINE

Complete application packages must be RECEIVED by 
November 25, 2025 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 March 9, 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 Snow College Social Sciences 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:
November 25, 11:59 p.m. MDT | Deadline for receipt of preliminary materials
December 15, 2025 | Committee review and finalist artist notification
March 9, 2026 | Finalist interviews and presentations
Winter 2027 | Artwork completed
Spring 2028 | Project substantial completion

ARTIST SELECTION COMMITTEE
Ashley Greenwood, Project Manager, Division of Facilities Construction & Mgmt
Celestia Carson, Principal Architect, VCBO
Stacee McIff, Snow College President
Dr. Tim Tingey, Snow College Vice President of Finance and Administration
Dr. Liberty Peterson, Snow College Social Sciences Assistant Professor
J. Weston Jamison, PhD Snow College Social Sciences Chair
Leslee Cook, Snow College Chief Facilities Officer
Kelly Brooks, Snow College Visual Arts Assistant Professor
Adam Larsen, Snow College Visual Arts Professor and Gallery Director

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 Snow College Social Sciences 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 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 November 25th deadline. Accommodation forms can be found at artsandmuseums.utah.gov/accessibility. 
 

Professional artists and artist teams residing in the United States are eligible for this commission. Artists residing 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 and VCBO Architects are not eligible to apply for this commission. All art selection committee members will declare any conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from the vote when reviewing artist applications.