Salt Lake Community College Aerospace Engineering Training Center - Utah Public Art

Request for qualifications from artists and/or artist teams interested in creating site-specific artwork(s) for the Salt Lake Community College Aerospace Engineering Training Center. Professional artists and artist teams residing in Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, and Wyoming are eligible for this commission.

COMMITTEE STATEMENT
It is the intention of the Art Committee to commission exterior sculpture work for the upcoming SLCC Aerospace Engineering Training Center. This call is open to artists residing in Utah, Arizona, Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Wyoming. The Committee has identified a number of potential locations along the south face of the building, including the entrance plaza and several landscaping areas (see building renderings and site plans on pages 6-7).

The Aerospace Engineering Training Center has been carefully architecturally designed to evoke aerodynamics. Its three wings will include a hangar, lab space, and administrative area. The interior spaces have many exposed elements to create an artistically industrial space, including utilizing taxiway imagery throughout the floor design to promote way-finding. Artwork for this building should also embrace aviation and the themes of aerodynamics through the design. 

The Committee sees the Aerospace Engineering Training Center as framing the gateway as the entrance to the Westpointe Campus;  a place that celebrates aviation and where students, faculty, and visitors will gather purposefully. They seek artwork that aligns with this vision. Like the building itself, they hope for artwork that will also create a gathering space and present a clear vision of the goals and strengths of the Aviation Maintenance program.

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.

SALT LAKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Salt Lake Community College was originally established in 1948 and has since grown to serve almost 50,000 students across eight campuses. As a community college, SLCC focuses on providing students with access to associate degree programs that can transfer to any other four-year college in the State of Utah. SLCC is in the Top 10 U.S schools granting two-year associate degrees annually, and more than half of SLCC’s enrolled students will attend a four-year university.

SLCC prioritizes affordable, accessible education intended to prepare students both to further their higher education or enter the workforce. Their goal is to provide a flexible education system that improves students’ earning potential and financial stability post-graduation. 

SLCC AVIATION MAINTENANCE PROGRAM
The SLCC Aviation Maintenance Program, in operation since 1984, prepares students for in-demand careers in the maintenance and repair of various aircraft. They are trained to work in high-pressure environments, performing routine maintenance and learning to professionally troubleshoot functional issues relating to airframes and engines. Students leave the program with the knowledge and skills required for the Federal Aviation Administration examinations for the A&P Mechanics License. The SLCC Aviation Maintenance program has made continual improvements to its curriculum over its decades of operation, and has developed a strong reputation within the aviation industry for providing a high-quality education for beginning technicians. 

This new facility, which will be located at the SLCC Westpointe Campus, is instrumental in allowing the program to continue to serve its students. In addition to being able to expand and continue its services, the new building will be located nearby the SLCC Student Support building, which will allow the college to provide stronger support to its aviation technician students. 

BUDGET
$70,000 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, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, and Wyoming are eligible for this commission. Artists living 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, Jacoby Architects, or Salt Lake Community College 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 one movie file 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. Questions or assistance requests must be made at minimum 48 hours before the submittal deadline.

To request an accommodation for a disability, please complete an Accommodation Form at least two weeks in advance of the December 2 deadline. Accommodation forms can be found at artsandmuseums.utah.gov/accessibility.

DEADLINE
Complete application packages must be RECEIVED by 
December 2nd 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 February 25th 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 SLCC Aerospace Engineering Training Center Art Selection Committee reserves the right to withhold the award of a commission or re-release the call for entries.

Schedule:
December 2, 2026, 11:59 p.m. MDT | Deadline for receipt of preliminary materials
December 17, 2026 | Committee review and finalist artist notification
February 25, 2027 | Finalists interviews and presentations
Spring 2028 | Artwork completed
May 2028 | Project substantial completion

ARTIST SELECTION COMMITTEE
Ashley Greenwood, Project Manager- Division of Facilities Construction & Management
Kraig Wilkes, Architect-Jacoby Architects
Brock Whetman, Construction Project Manager- SLCC
Kaylee Moxham, Assistant Director of Planning and Design- SLCC
Zac Taylor,  Associate Dean of Aviation and Transportation Programs- SLCC
James Walton, Gallery and Art Collection Project Manager- SLCC

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 one movie file 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. Questions or assistance requests must be made at minimum 48 hours before the submittal deadline.

To request an accommodation for a disability, please complete an Accommodation Form at least two weeks in advance of the December 2 deadline. Accommodation forms can be found at artsandmuseums.utah.gov/accessibility.

Professional artists and artist teams residing in Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, and Wyoming are eligible for this commission. Artists living 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, Jacoby Architects, or Salt Lake Community College 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.