Utah Public Art - Southwest Applied Technology College Public Art Call

Entry Deadline: 2/9/15
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The Utah Arts & Museums' Public Art Program is requesting qualifications from Utah artists and /or artist teams for the creation of public art for the Allied Health and Technology Facility at Southwest Applied Technology College in Cedar City, Utah.   

DEADLINE FOR MATERIALS: February 9, 2015

THE ALLIED HEALTH AND TECHNOLOGY FACILITY - An article in Forbes Magazine titled America’s Skilled Trades Dilemma: Shortages Loom As Most-In- Demand Group of Workers Ages highlights the predicament facing Utah and the entire United States.  The article went on to state that for the last three years, the hardest segment of the workforce for employers to staff is skilled trades such as welders, electricians and machinists. For two or three generations, American high schools have largely shifted their focus to preparing students for four-year colleges rather than vocational school. The U.S. started focusing on academic instruction, but left behind the notion of work-force training and education. Now, older skilled-trade workers are retiring, creating a gap between the skills employers need and available workers. Southwest ATC will help fill that gap by providing skilled training and education opportunities in the fields of health sciences, welding, manufacturing, culinary arts, Information technology and business technology.

In March of 2014, the Utah State Legislature approved funding for the construction of the new Allied Health and Technology Building. This project includes the planning and construction of the new facility to meet the needs of the College’s rapidly growing allied health and technology programs. The facility is being constructed adjacent to the College’s current facility on 11.4 acres of property purchased with State funds in June 2007. The new building will be a gateway to Southwest ATC’s future campus.

The Southwest Applied Technology College is a leading provider of skills training in Southwest Utah. This new facility will house 10 healthcare occupational programs covering professions such as practical nursing, phlebotomy and emergency medical technician. It will also house Culinary Arts, five manufacturing programs and both basic and advanced welding.  Accredited through the Council on Occupational Education, the State of Utah, and numerous national organizations, the college’s programs are highly regarded throughout the community for the quality of its faculty, curriculum, and clinical preparation of students. Many community members and businesses serve on the programs’ Advisory Committees, advising faculty and administration on all aspects of program quality and curriculum and assisting students with job placement.

After a groundbreaking event in August of 2014, construction began with the selection of Hughes Construction and Method Studios as the design-build team. The project is managed by the Utah State Division of Facilities, Construction, and Maintenance (DFCM) along with active participation by the college’s administration and faculty. The building will be completed by November 2015 with official opening events taking place in December 2015.

The mission of Southwest Applied Technology College is to provide education and job skill training through individualized competency based programs in response to the needs of students, employers and the communities it serves.

As the President of the College writes, “At Southwest ATC our focus is on student success!  Our goal is to help students gain the high technical skill levels and work habits required for success in today’s ever-changing and dynamic workforce.  Our faculty and staff believe in providing the highest quality services and instruction to ensure an exciting and worthwhile learning experience. Southwest ATC faculty are qualified, dedicated and responsive. We are proud to train residents from our four county region to compete with others in a very competitive workplace environment.

Southwest ATC is about creating new possibilities for career advancement and personal growth. We develop programs with on-going involvement from our business and industry partners and quickly adapt as the workplace and business environment changes.

Many of our programs are self-paced and competency based, providing individualized instruction. As our local economy becomes increasingly competitive, our facilities and curriculum will provide the education and training that is required to be successful. “

THE BUILDING - This new facility is designed to contribute to the identity and purpose of SWATC to create an environment for health sciences and technical training teaching/learning/working. Toward that identity the facility features plazas, promenade, green space, grand lobby entrance and staircase, welcoming waiting areas and lounges, and a demonstration garden for the study of healthy living and food production practices.

The two story building is placed on the West side of the campus with the grand lobby facing the campus and the red rocks of Hurricane Cliffs. The wings off of the grand lobby are enveloped by masonry construction and plentiful “punched” windows and metal accents. The horizontal form is modern yet respectful of the surrounding single-family homes to the south and west.

Hidden from view from the street and parking areas, the courtyard becomes a key organizational element of the project and an echo of the Grand Lobby/Hub. All gathering spaces and program clusters will have direct views and/or access into the space. The courtyard can function as an all-purpose outdoor classroom, providing yet another mode for teaching/learning. The courtyard can also double as a more private or controlled outdoor gathering/social space, with opportunity for extended café and lounge seating. With a generally southern orientation, the courtyard will allow natural light to penetrate deep into the core of the building, becoming a dynamic and ever-changing component of the occupant experience.

The massing/form strategies employed will allow several programs to be featured: Culinary Arts on the main level; Health Sciences on the upper level of the East Wing; Student Services/Bookstore and Testing Center on the main level; and Administration on the upper level of the West Wing. The Welding, Manufacturing and Industrial Maintenance Training programs are located on the southwest side of the building.

The common spaces, including the Cafeteria, Multipurpose Rooms, Bookstore and Testing Center, Study Lounges and Waiting Areas, Grand Lobby/Entry and Grand Stair, etc. (in combination with the Courtyard/Outdoor Classroom) create an active HUB at the heart of the building. All of these spaces leverage the double-height space in the Grand Lobby.

The exterior material palette is composed of four major components: 1. Natural/Neutral integrally colored masonry walls (CMU) will be the basic building block of the exterior material palette on all sides of the building. One color with normal variation is illustrated in the elevations. 2. Metal Accents (lap- seam interlocking metal wall panels) will balance the tone and texture of the masonry walls, and provide modern accents at windows, openings, etc. Matching metal trim at the parapet will be provided as well. 3. An aluminum storefront system with low-E glazing will be provided at all exterior windows and major entry doors. 4. Finally, in contrast to the masonry, metal, and glass is a natural cedar wood cladding at the Grand Entry/Lobby. Natural cedar wood provides rich texture, color, and warmth in an area with maximum impact. Cedar wood is a proven long-lasting durable finish and will age beautifully in Cedar City’s climate.

The primary objectives for outdoor space are to enhance the surrounding mountain views and scenery. Lines and other important physical elements represented by the architectural material palette will be extruded out into the landscape to strengthen and enhance the lines and design of the architecture and to connect the surrounding landscape and neighborhoods with the building and other site elements.

Native vegetation will play an important role as it fingers its way through the various outdoor spaces and creates interesting edges that juxtapose against the more refined elements of crushed rock and layered plant material.

CEDAR CITY and IRON County, UTAH

Cedar City, with a population of 29,000, is the largest community in Iron County, located in south- central Utah. Its elevation is 5,800 feet above sea level, and it lies in a semi-arid part of the state with 10,000-foot mountains to the east and a vast desert area to the west.

Cedar City adopted the nickname, "The Festival City" in the late 1980s, chiefly as a tagline to  underscore the stature of the resident Utah Shakespeare Festival, but also to incorporate the Utah Summer Games, the state's largest sports festival, as well as other festivals. In 2004, Cedar City became known as Festival City USA, due to its current offering of festivals throughout the year.

A community surrounded by national parks, Cedar City offers visitors, friends, and residents the opportunity to experience a wealth of variety. One can enjoy the Tony Award winning Utah Shakespeare  Festival in the summer and fall, or ride the fresh powder of Brian Head Ski Resort during the winter months. The Frontier Homestead State Park is open year-round in the heart of Cedar City. The Heritage Center presents an assortment of plays, symphonies, ballets, art shows and multitude of cultural events and entertainment.

COMMITTEE STATEMENT - The Southwest Applied Technology College (SWATC) provides education and job skill training through individualized competency-based programs in response to the needs of students, employers and the communities we serve. Hard work, enthusiasm, and dedication are institutional values that encourage students to be successful and believe in themselves. Through professional, top-quality technical education, SWATC students are empowered to excel in their chosen career fields. The college’s main focus is building a workforce of self-actualized, professional students who have reached their full potential.

The committee encourages proposals from the selected finalists for a public art installation that honors and/or draws inspiration from the college’s technical education programs and the students it serves.

The new building addition to the SWATC campus will house programs in welding, manufacturing, culinary arts, healthcare, and industrial maintenance, while continuing to build on expansive education and job skill training. The committee recognizes a need for artwork in this new building that inspires its students within the context of their job and career pursuits.

The new Allied Health and Technology Building was envisioned as a place for the community. Its goal is to bring together students, professionals, and entrepreneurs to share, discuss, and collaborate on ideas and projects. The public space is intended to facilitate this by providing a grand lobby as a gathering space. The lobby is filled with natural daylight and has direct access to a large entry plaza, an intimate central courtyard, and clear access to a variety of interior areas such as a multi-purpose event space, full service café, access to program information, and an area in which to conduct career research.

The public and private zones of the building intersect at the lobby through a vast two-story space that is connected with mezzanines and bridges. This space is intended to be visually activated with the building's users, and create opportunities for interaction. Our intention with the building materials was to use "raw" materials but apply them in a refined and elegant way. Polished concrete floors, refined cedar wall and ceiling accents, expressive steel details on the building's interior and exterior are embedded in the design.

The new building will serve as an expansion of SWATC, illustrating the fast growing need for industry- specific training that leads directly to employment in a chosen field. This building was designed to contribute to the identity and purpose of the institution, to create an environment where students have access to health science, technical training, and other programs. The two-story building is located on the west side of campus with the main entrance facing the red rock mountains to the East of Cedar City, capturing the beautiful landscape of Southern Utah. The horizontal form of the building is modern yet respectful of the styles of surrounding single-family homes to its south and west.

The Committee has identified the exterior plaza and the main lobby spaces as potential sites for this commission or would consider the finalist artist(s)’s suggestions for other sites that may inspire them and could be developed in conversations with the Committee. The Committee has indicated they may commission one major work, up to three individual works and/or a multi-part installation. The Committee may also consider artists interested in creating a unique and creative donor recognition installation for the College.

BUDGET - $121,500 is available for all related expenses of this Public Art commission(s) including (but not limited to) artist fees, fabrication, insurance, shipping, travel, installation, documentation, etc.

ELIIBILITY -  Resident Utah artists or artist teams are eligible to apply.  Art selection committee members and their immediate families, employees or consultants of Method Studio Architects, Hughes Construction, Arts & Museums Staff and Board are not eligible to apply for this project.

SUBMISSION OPTIONS, INSTRUCTIONS AND REQUIRED MATERIALS - Interested artists may submit applications online or by compact disc/DVD. The deadline day is the same for both methods and is not a postmark deadline. Please do not include supplemental materials beyond the requirements listed below. All required information/forms are included in the online application process. CD/DVD requirements are listed and only apply to that method of application.

ON-LINE METHOD:

Register at www.callforentry.org and follow the directions for registration and submitting material for this Public Art Request for Qualifications.

We cannot accept movies files through the online application. If the artist’s work cannot be documented well with still image you may submit movie files via the “Compact Disc or DVD Method” listed below.

DISC METHOD: (these requirements are for the CD/DVD applicants only)

A PC compatible CD or DVD labeled with applicant's name, and contact information containing:

A letter of interest of not more than two typewritten pages in PDF format. This letter should include the artist’s reasons for interest in this project in particular. In doing so, the artist should also describe how his/her work and/or experience relates to the project.

Up to six (6) images maximum of previous site-specific public work. All images must be in JPEG  format, 1920 pixels maximum on the longest side, 72 dpi, with compression settings resulting in the best image quality under 2MB file size. The image files should be named so that the list sorts in the order of the image listing.

A PDF document indentifying each image to include title, year, medium, dimensions.

A professional resume in PDF format.

If the work cannot be documented well with still images a DVD (of no more than 3 minutes) may be submitted as documentation of artist’s projects. Please note only one media, movie file or images, can be presented to the committee per artist in this preliminary phase.

If the artist wishes the material returned, an addressed and stamped envelope of ample size and postage for return of the CD or DVD should be included. Material that is not accompanied by a stamped envelope cannot be returned.

Utah Arts & Museums will not be responsible for applications delayed or lost in transit. While all reasonable care will be taken in the handling of materials, neither the Utah Division of Arts & Museums nor the SWATC Art Selection Committee will be liable for late, lost or damaged materials or electronic files. Faxed or e-mailed applications cannot be accepted.

The SWATC Art Selection Committee reserves the right to withhold the award of a commission or re- release the call for entries.

CD/DVD applications may be sent by mail, hand delivered or express delivered to:

Jim Glenn

Attention: SWATC

Utah Public Art Program

300 S. Rio Grande

Salt Lake City, UT 84101

SELECTION PROCESS AND SCHEDULE

The Selection Committee will review proposals from which a short list of finalists will be selected. Finalists will receive an honorarium to help offset the expense of presenting a full proposal to the committee on May 4, 2015 to include budget and time-line. The finalist honorarium will be applied toward the commission amount for the artist(s) awarded the commission. Final selection(s) will be made from the finalists.

February 9, 2015 - Deadline for receipt of qualifications

March 9, 2015 - Committee reviews applications

May 4, 2015 - Finalist presentations and interviews

November 2015 - Substantial completion of building project

January 2016 - Official dedication

The committee reserves the right to withhold, delay or re-issue the Request for Qualifications for this project.

ART SELECTION COMMITTEE

Kurt Baxter - Project Manager – Facilities Construction and Management

Rachelle Bonnett -Community Representative / Project Manager

Debbie Drake -SWATC and Cedar City Arts Council

R. Scott Phillips - Arts & Museums Board of Directors / Community Representative

Joe Smith -  Method Studio Architects

Deborah Snider - Assistant Professor of Art Education, Southern Utah University

Brennan Wood -  SWATC, President

If you have any questions about this or other projects information is available at: www.utahpublicart.org or contact: Jim Glenn at 801-245-7271 or e-mail at: jglenn@utah.gov  or Felicia Bac at 801-245-7272 or e-mail at: fbaca@utah.gov