Teton County Justice Center - Public Art

Teton County Justice Center seeks two original artworks: one suspended in the interior stairwell and a second, stand-alone exterior sculpture created by the same artist that converse with and relate to each other.  The Justice Center includes the Teton County District Court and Circuit Court, Clerk of District Court, Teton County and Prosecuting Attorney, Dispatch, and the Sheriff's Office.

Location / Context

Teton County, Wyoming is located in the northeast corner of the state and is a gateway community to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Jackson is the only incorporated municipality and the county seat of Teton County, Wyoming. The Town of Jackson is located within the larger area known as Jackson Hole, which is the valley surrounded by the Teton and Gros Ventre mountain ranges. Teton County encompasses this entire valley, including Jackson, Grand Teton National Park, and parts of Yellowstone National Park. 

There is abundant wildlife in the area including grizzly and black bears, mountain lions, moose, elk, pronghorn, deer, raptors, and native cutthroat trout. The Tetons are often referred to as the American Alps. Their stunning beauty attracts recreationists including skiers, bikers, hikers, and alpinists.

The Town of Jackson and Teton County have a combined population of 44,000 residents that welcome 4+ million visitors annually who come for access to national parks, wildlife, and ski mountains. Visitation creates a community of service workers who live at earning levels far below the median home price of $2.7 million. Close to 97% of the land in Jackson Hole is federally owned, causing the price of private land to be extremely high. A significant portion of the population has a high level of education, with 97.2% of residents aged 25 and older holding a high school diploma or higher, and 61.2% holding a bachelor's degree or higher.  Residents also include distributed workers and a significant immigrant population (25% is Latine). Jackson Hole, Wyoming has been named the No. 1 arts community in the United States for 2025, according to the Southern Methodist University (SMU) Arts Vibrancy Index, the nation’s leading data-driven measure of arts and cultural vitality.

Description of site

The Teton County Justice Center will be located one block south of the Historic Town Square in Jackson’s vibrant downtown. Jackson's Town Square, formally named George Washington Memorial Park, is the cultural, civic, and business heart of our community. Dedicated as a park in 1934, each corner hosts arches made from elk antlers collected by local Scouts from the nearby Elk Refuge. The architecture in downtown Jackson includes both western and modern buildings, wooden boardwalks and large cottonwoods and aspens trees. Snow King Mountain creates a beautiful backdrop to the south and is the downtown ski mountain with access to the Bridger Teton National Forest.

About the History of Justice in Jackson Hole

“The Judicial Branch is the branch which reviews the laws as they apply to actual events in the lives of individuals. As envisioned by the founders over two hundred years ago, when the judicial system protects the rights of one, the rights of all remain secure.” https://www.wyocourts.gov/about-the-courts/#tabV2

Key Dates in History relating to the Judiciary in Teton County, Wyoming

Wyoming Territory’s legal system was established under the Organic Act of 1868, including justice of the peace courts, precursors to today’s local justice system.

Wyoming was the first U.S. territory to grant women suffrage in 1869

1868–1890: Territorial justice courts (justice of peace)

mid-1880s: Permanent settlers first arrived in Jackson Hole 

1890: Wyoming becomes a state

1880s–1910s: Jackson Valley settlement; informal governance

1920: First all-female town council & mayor elected

1930: First dedicated county courthouse built

1968: New Teton County Courthouse constructed

Description of building

The full scope of county-provided Judicial Services and more will reside in the new 3-story Justice Center in downtown Jackson Hole Wyoming. 

The Justice Center includes the Teton County District Court and Circuit Court, Clerk of District Court, Teton County and Prosecuting Attorney, Dispatch, Detention Center, and the Sheriff's Office.

The primary users of the Justice Center include but are not limited to law enforcement, lawyers, incarcerated, public, victims, civil litigants, concerned citizens, reporters, defendants, victim advocates, families, judges, court staff, public servants, and jurors.

The Justice Center will serve as a symbol of safety, justice, and community, uniting all branches of Teton County’s Judicial System under one roof. The building draws its unique character from Jackson’s alpine and mountain-west heritage – fostering a sense of belonging and highlighting Jackson’s unique identity. Thoughtfully chosen materials embody strength, warmth, and civic character. Built sustainably, this center will support Teton County’s public servants and citizens for generations to come.

The Justice Center will house Teton County’s Circuit (limited jurisdiction) and District Court (general jurisdiction), which are both state courts in Wyoming’s Ninth Judicial District. Circuit Court cases include but are not limited to misdemeanor criminal cases, civil protection orders, small claims, and civil disputes under $50,000 and traffic citations.  District Court cases include but are not limited to felony criminal cases, family law, juvenile court, probate, adoption, juvenile, general civil actions, civil disputes over $50,000 and appellate review of lower court and agency decisions.  The Jackson Municipal Court is a separate entity addressing select statutory violations as well as ordinance violations.

Project Goals

Teton County Justice Center seeks two original artworks: one suspended in the interior stairwell and a second, stand-alone exterior sculpture created by the same artist that converse with and relate to each other. 

Hanging in the stairwell adjacent to the Wyoming State Seal, the artwork might employ words, symbols, abstracted shapes, or forms evoking the qualities outlined on the list below. The successful artwork will readily communicate one or a combination of these themes to Justice Center users, both those who work within the building everyday and the many who pass through it only once in a great while. 

It takes all of us to make justice work, and this commitment to neutrality, fairness, and  equality is a bedrock of our community. The selected artist should be able to realize artworks that communicate our highest ideals of a society. 

The artwork should honor those who put their lives in harm’s way for the betterment of others; those who selflessly serve our community’s best interests; and those who commit to fairness and the goodness inherent in people and mankind’s ability to reform.

Daily activities in the Justice Center can be life-changing and stressful. Therefore, the artwork should evoke a sense of calm, and the artist should consider the use of natural materials and colors. 

Conceptual designs should relate to the Justice Center themes  below: 

• Access to justice for all
• Civic duty and responsibility
• Commitment to service
• Humanity, fairness, inclusivity
• People empathetically supporting people
• Community safety, strength, and health
• Mutual understanding and respect
• Appreciation of natural resources

The Justice Center requires both the commitment of the community and the dedication of the staff to make justice work.  Ideally this duality is reflected in the two artworks. A successful artwork will visually connect to the surrounding area and compliment the architecture of the building. The artwork should contribute to a welcoming, respectful, and productive environment by reinforcing the concept that the public and staff have a right to be heard and a right to be safe, comfortable, respected, dignified, and calm when in the Justice Center. The artwork should foster trust in courts and law enforcement and contribute to our civic identity. 

All artists or artist teams who are interested in the Justice Center opportunity are invited to apply by submitting qualifications through the CallForEntry.org website.
 

Qualifications Review Criteria

A selection panel composed of residents, local arts and culture professionals, representatives from the Stakeholder team, and other community members will review the applicants’ qualifications to select the artists whose qualifications, examples of past work, and letter of interest are the best fit for the project.

Work samples should demonstrate:

• The style of work the artist or artist teams will propose for this project
• The level of workmanship and excellence in use of materials (please do not submit conceptual renderings, only projects that have been built).
• Demonstrated ability to create original, durable works of art that are calming, evoke an emotional response, and convey a positive visual experience that resonates with the viewer.
• Artistic merit, originality and creativity.
   

Letter of Interest should describe:

• Professional experience working on projects of similar scale, budget, and technical design.
• Responsiveness to the goals of the project.
• Ability to undertake the design, creation, and installation within the timeline.
• Demonstrated ability to work with stakeholders and community groups.

Reference Letters 

Please include current phone and email information for references.

Selection of Finalist

Finalists will submit their concepts to the selection panel administered by JH Public Art. Each finalist will be invited to present to the selection panel for 20 minutes. The selection panel will then identify the one artist whose concept is the best fit for meeting the project goals. In addition to the above stated criteria, the final concepts will be reviewed using these additional criteria:

• Work that is suitable for the Justice Center and complements the site and scale of the building.
• Artwork that communicates the themes listed in the goals described herein.
• Appropriateness of materials and style in relation to the architecture of the Justice Center and the surrounding neighborhood.
• A concept that is engaging and elicits an emotional response from the viewer.
• Demonstrated ability to incorporate stakeholder and community feedback into the Final Design.
• Commitment to work within the timeline.

Total Commission is $175,000 and includes site visit, construction drawings of the final design, all fabrication, materials, shipping and installation. The contracts will be awarded in two phases: Final Design and Commission Agreement.

Phase 1: Final Design Agreement of $12,500 includes compensation for construction drawings and engineering review of the final design and Teton County permitting. As part of the Final Design agreement, the finalist will be invited to a site visit to meet with community and stakeholders to refine their final concept. 

Phase 2: Once the final design is approved by Teton County Building and Planning the artist will be awarded a Commission Agreement all-inclusive of fabrication, shipping, and installation for two artworks for $162,500.

Timeline: This is a multi-year construction project and the timeline is subject to change.

Opportunity Announced March 20, 2026

Qualifications Due April 20, 2026 

Finalists Selected to develop site-specific proposals notified by May 1, 2026

Site Visit - TBD

Site-Specific Proposals Due June 30, 2026

Finalist announced by July 15, 2026

Final Design Due December 2026

Fabrication, Progress checks, Installation -January 2027-  2028 dates to be refined

Media/Style/Size

The interior suspended artwork must be made of durable, permanent, media that is safe and requires little to no maintenance. Artwork should be site-specific and properly scaled to the building. The artist should pay special attention to the position of the interior artwork as it relates to the historic wooden Seal of Wyoming at the top of the stairs. The suspended artwork does not need to emit light; however, the artist should work closely with the design team to ensure proper lighting for the artwork is integrated into the building design.

The exterior artwork must be made of durable, permanent, media that is safe and requires little to no maintenance. Artwork should be properly scaled to the building and the exterior surrounding areas. The artist should pay special attention to the extreme nature of the weather in Jackson Hole and consider snow accumulation and removal, and high winds.

The two works should converse with each other and conceptually have the ability to evoke a response as stand-alone works and as two works in relation to each other.

The project is open to professional artists with public art experience in creating site-specific suspended artworks. Artist teams must include at least one visual artist.