DPS Evidence Warehouse - Utah Public Art

Request for qualifications from Utah artists and/or artist teams interested in creating site-specific artwork(s) for the Department of Public Safety Evidence Warehouse building. Professional artists and artist teams residing in Utah are eligible for this commission.

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

UTAH DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
The Utah Department of Public Safety strives to keep Utah safe through dedicated public service and partnerships to protect Utah’s great quality of life.
The Department of Public Safety includes 11 State Divisions and Bureaus:

• Emergency Management
• State Fire Marshall’s Office
• Utah Highway Patrol
• Driver’s License Division
• Statewide Information and Analysis Center
• State Bureau of Investigation
• State Communications
• State Crime Lab
• Highway Safety
• Bureau of Criminal Identification
• Peace Officer Standards and Training

EVIDENCE WAREHOUSE
The Department of Public Safety envisions a state-of-the-art Evidence Warehouse that ensures the secure, efficient, and legally compliant storage of evidence. Designed to preserve the integrity of materials and support law enforcement operations, this facility will be built to adapt and expand over the next 20+ years. It will house the State Bureau of Investigations evidence management department and include space for the preparation and booking of evidence, intake and processing, short and long-term evidence storage, administrative space for evidence management staff, and a small public lobby for property return.

COMMITTEE STATEMENT
The Art Selection Committee is seeking to commission multiple artworks associated with the development of the Department of Public Safety Evidence Warehouse.
This Request-for-Qualifications is for interior artwork, with installation opportunities being available throughout several areas. Artworks are being solicited for both public and employee-only areas. A building layout is available on page 6 of the linked document.

• Artworks must be suitable for a wall installation (standalone sculpture or ceiling-suspended artworks are not suitable for this location)
• Formats may include but are not limited to paintings, murals,  textiles, mixed media, photography, and installation work

The Art Selection Committee is interested in artworks that explore the beauty of Utah, focusing on the natural resources that make Utah such a remarkable place to live and work. Evidence Warehouse employees value the service they provide to the Utah public and their work is often isolating and underappreciated. Artwork for this building will bring an atmosphere of color, texture, and vibrant life that will improve the working conditions for staff and visitors.

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
$91,000 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 Utah are eligible for this commission. Artists living in Salt Lake County 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 GSBS 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 1 movie file 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. 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 May 11th deadline. Accommodation forms can be found at artsandmuseums.utah.gov/accessibility.

DEADLINE

Complete application packages must be RECEIVED by 
May 11th 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 5th 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 DPS Evidence Warehouse 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:
May 11, 2026, 11:59pm MDT | Deadline for receipt of preliminary materials
May 27, 2026 | Committee Review and Finalist artist notification
August 5, 2026 | Finalists interviews and presentations
Fall 2027 | Artwork completed
November 2027| Project substantial completion

ARTIST SELECTION COMMITTEE
Rob Robinson, Project Manager, Division of Facilities Construction & Management
Valerie Nagasawa, GSBS Architects Principal
Mark O’Connor, Evidence Control Manager, Department of Public Safety
Lt. Jalaine Hawkes, Utah State Bureau of Investigation
Brittany Elmer, Department of Public Safety Facilities
Sarah Wolfe, Arts Committee Chair, Glendale Neighborhood Council

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 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 1 movie file 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. 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 May 11th deadline. Accommodation forms can be found at artsandmuseums.utah.gov/accessibility.

Professional artists and artist teams residing in Utah are eligible for this commission. Artists living in Salt Lake County 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 GSBS 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.