utah tech university: public art opportunity
The Utah Division of Facilities Construction and Management and the Utah Division of Arts & Museums Public Art Program, in partnership with Utah Tech University, requests qualifications from artists and/or artist teams interested in creating site-specific artwork(s) for the Utah Tech McDonald Building.
UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY
Utah Tech University’s history goes all the way back to the settlement of St. George in 1857, when leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asked 38 families to move to the southwest corner of Utah to establish a town and grow cotton. The encampment mall where these pioneers parked their covered wagons, raised their families, and taught their children school lessons is now the center of Utah Tech’s campus.
When the community was ready for a more formal college in 1909, the LDS Church began construction on the institution, then called St. George Stake Academy. A true community effort, Washington County residents funded $35,000 of the $55,000 project that was built on the corner of Main Street and 100 South and opened September 1911.
In the late 1990s, Washington County residents appealed to the Utah Legislature, this time to petition for the addition of baccalaureate degrees to the college’s associate programs. The college was granted approval to award bachelor’s degrees in business administration and computer science. The college continued to add baccalaureate programs and just two years after celebrating its centennial gained university status in 2013. The University continues to grow and adopted a polytechnic approach to education starting in 2016 and master’s degrees in 2018.
UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY ART DEPARTMENT
Utah Tech University’s Art Department offers three Arts Minor opportunities, five undergraduate programs, as well as a Masters of Fine Art Studio program. During their course of study, students will work to produce a full portfolio, learn to solve complex problems, express artistic concepts and intent, evaluate artistic work and be able to explain basic design principles and concepts, and utilize principles of visual analysis and literacy to discuss the socio-historical context of artworks.
The Art Department’s Mission:
An education in Visual Arts can be defined as the process whereby one learns how to produce art; engage in the aesthetic and critical analysis of art, and to talk, read, and write about art. Students at Utah Tech University are exposed to numerous concepts and activities involved in becoming visually and aesthetically literate. As part of their artistic study students will become proficient in their art discipline. Students have the opportunity to visit major regional art museums and exhibit artwork both on and off campus. The Arts Department supports Utah Tech’s vision of a polytechnic education, fore-fronting hands-on learning and preparing students for a successful future.
UTAH TECH MCDONALD BUILDING
Originally built in 1968, the Utah Tech McDonald Building is receiving a large-scale remodel that will modernize existing spaces and extend the total footprint by 30,730 square feet. This expanded facility will become the new home of Utah Tech’s Art Department, housing programs in 3-D Sculpture and Ceramics, Entertainment, Animation, Painting, Illustration, and Photography and Digital Imaging.
The new McDonald Building will have purpose-built educational spaces such as animation labs, a general lecture room, wood shop, gallery, studio workspaces, and offices for faculty and staff. This will be a vital addition to the College of the Arts, as the Art Department is currently housed away from the main campus, and without many of these critical resources. This beautiful new facility will improve student educational outcomes and future job prospects, while also contributing to a more vibrant and connected campus.
COMMITTEE STATEMENT
The Art Selection Committee seeks sculptural artwork to be installed in an exterior courtyard area that will be developed as a sculpture garden. Utah Tech envisions that this area will be used both for its multiple pathways to the McDonald Building, as well as a place where visitors may contemplate the beautiful art and landscaping.
The Art Selection Committee is interested in artwork that responds to the culture, ethos, and mission of the Utah Tech Art Department. UTech Art Faculty are working artists across a wide variety of styles and mediums, and prioritize creativity and resourcefulness in their approach.
The following methods may be suitable for this project:
A sculptural proposal that addresses multiple areas of the courtyard
Sculptural artwork that could interact with or respond to the environment (for example, with light and shadow)
Sculptural artwork that stands out from the local aesthetic and emphasizes the unique qualities of Utah Tech’s Art Department
Please note expected project completion date of Spring/Summer 2027