- About
- Visual Art Collection
- Percent for Art Collection
- Community Engagement
- Civic Museum
- For Artists
About
If you live in Salt Lake County, you are within minutes of artworks that represent and celebrate our community. The Salt Lake County Art in Public Places program places art in county facilities around the valley – in libraries, parks, recreation and community centers, public offices, even at public works sites. These art pieces make these places and spaces more beautiful and give anyone who visits an unexpected art-venture!
Art in Public Places benefits our community in many ways. It is beautiful and thought-provoking. It sparks conversation and helps build community identity. It honors the past and celebrates the future. And the Art in Public Places program gives a voice to our artists and enriches our community.
Next time you visit a Salt Lake County facility, park, recreation center, library, or theater, take a minute and find the art.
Visual Art Collection
The Visual Art Collection is a permanent collection including paintings, photographs, mixed media, and sculpture. The Collection is eclectic with a unifying theme – Utah. Each artist represented has lived or worked in Utah or is currently working in Utah. All works in the collection are on public display at county facilities, with the majority displayed at the County Government Center.
Percent for Art Collection
The Percent for Art Collection are site-specific works that range from murals and sculptures to mosaics, stained glass, or larger environmental works. Funding for this collection comes from legislation which allows up to one percent of money spent by county government on new buildings to go toward the purchase and installation of public art. Salt Lake County adopted this legislation in May of 1982.
VIEW PERCENT FOR ART COLLECTION
Community Engagement
The Art in Public Places programs fosters the act of coming together as a community to engage with public art. This act celebrates artists, placemaking and creates invaluable dialogue our community. Community engagement includes, public tours of the Visual Art Collection and Percent for Art Collection, joining a selection committee and collective appreciation.
For Artists
Art in Public Places values artists and the artistic process. Since it’s creation in the 1980s the Art in Public Places program has commissioned or purchased over 700 works from local and international artists. Our goal is to create opportunities for artists to express their voice and vision for the community.
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Questions?
Contact Kate Ithurralde Art in Public Places Manager P: 385.468.7059 E: kithurralde@slco.org
About
The Visual Art Collection has more than 650 pieces, including paintings, photographs, sculpture, and mixed media works. The unifying theme of the Collection is UTAH. Each artist has a tie to Utah, they either live here or create here.
Salt Lake County honors the spirit and values of our residents through the Collection and each piece is on display at county facilities, with the majority displayed at the County Government Center on State Street and 2100 South in Salt Lake City.
Visit the Collection online to find your favorite art piece or works by your favorite artist or what art is at the county facility closest to you.
Yearly Acquisitions
Explore the Collection by year to find the works acquired.
Art Acquisition Subcommittee
Art in Public Places receives an annual budget to purchase new artwork for the Collection. Our Visual Art Collection Subcommittee, a part of our volunteer Salt Lake County Arts & Culture Advisory Board, reviews and recommends artworks to the Advisory Board for the County to purchase.
The 10-member Subcommittee includes one member of the Arts & Culture Advisory Board, at least one member of Salt Lake County staff, County residents with advanced knowledge of visual art, and other interested citizens.
The Acquisition Subcommittee is currently on pause for the year, with anticipated resumption in 2025. Please check back then for further updates.
Click here for more information about the Arts & Culture Advisory Board.
Donations
If you are interested in donating an art piece by a Utah artist to the Visual Art Collection, please contact Kate Ithurralde, the manager of the Art in Public Places program.
The Collection Subcommittee and the Arts & Culture Advisory Board carefully reviews potential art donations before they are formally accepted into the collection.
Artwork Appraisals
Salt Lake County Art & Culture is unable to assist with artwork appraisals. If you need an appraisal, contact the American Society of Appraisers to find a qualified professional near you.
About
The Percent for Art collection are artworks created to complement a specific location or building. These art pieces are part of the design and construction of new county facilities and include sculptures, murals, and even stained glass.
Most installations are permanent, some are temporary, and each piece brings attention to and beautifies our County spaces. We have more than 100 Percent for Art installations throughout the Salt Lake Valley.
Visit the Collection online to find your favorite art piece or works by your favorite artist or what art is at the county facility closest to you.
VIEW PERCENT FOR ART COLLECTION
Explore the vibrant Percent for Art Collection, featuring diverse works located in each of Salt Lake County's six districts, showcasing the creativity and talent of our local artists.
Percent for Art Ordinance
In 1982, the County Council adopted the Percent for Art Ordinance. This Ordinance sets aside 1% of capital improvement or development project funds to commission, purchase and installation of artworks at county facilities.
Click here to learn more about Percent for Art Ordinance.
Percent for Art Selection Process
Each project opportunity is advertised nationally and sometimes only in Utah. Anyone can submit their idea through the County’s Request for Proposal process. Each application is reviewed by a committee representing the County facility, the architect and construction firm, local art experts, and other relevant County staff.
Click here to see open Percent for Art Opportunities.
Community Engagement Exhibitions
Art in Public Places partners with various Salt Lake County agencies to bring unique art exhibitions and experiences to public spaces. The goal of these exhibitions is to create site-specific works that spark imagination and invite the community to engage with Salt Lake County owned venues, parks and other facilities.
Free Collection Tours
Tours of both the Visual Art Collection and Percent for Art Collection are free and available Monday through Friday. We limit groups to 20 people and tours last about an hour. Tours can be customized on request.
Please submit your tour request at least six weeks in advance. We will contact you to confirm date, time, and custom requests.
Civic Definition
- You use civic to describe people or things that have an official status in a town or city … the civic leaders of Salt Lake County.
- You use civic to describe the duties or feeling that people have because they belong to a particular community …a sense of civic pride.
Overview
The Salt Lake County Civic Museum is an Art in Public Places project that provides welcoming spaces to spotlight unheard and often overlooked narratives of our community through the exhibition of cultural items (fine artworks, folk artworks, historical pieces, etc).
Through the Civic Museum, each selected participant will showcase up to two cultural exhibitions at specific County facilities over two years, with oversight and support from the Salt Lake County Art in Public Places program. Participants will be selected via an open-call application process reviewed by a panel of County employees and community members.
The Salt Lake County Civic Museum is committed to promoting the mission and programming of artistic, cultural, and other community-based nonprofit organizations. Civic Museum participants will provide the County with a deeper understanding of shared experiences and innovative themes within their communities through the exhibitions they put on as a part of the project.
The desired outcome of the Civic Museum is to provide residents and visitors with a richer connection to Salt Lake County’s diverse voices.
For more details on the Civic Museum please read the 2024 Civic Museum Overview.
Application Period
Interested organizations must submit a completed application via a Smartsheet's online form, to include supporting materials that describe their proposed exhibition pieces and demonstrate the civic/community significance of said pieces in alignment with Civic Museum goals. The current application period opens on June 12 and closes on July 26, 2024. All applications must be submitted by July 26 at 5 pm MST.
Eligibility
The Art in Public Places Civic Museum is open to arts-related organizations based in Salt Lake County. Eligible organizations include, but are not limited to, cultural and nonprofit entities with a focus on arts, culture, and community engagement. Individual artists are not eligible for this program.
Partnership Term
Selected partners will enter into a two-year partnership term with the Art in Public Places program. During this period, the program will work collaboratively with the partner organization to promote their mission and provide a dedicated space for showcasing their artistic work.
Application Process:
Interested organizations will need to submit a completed application form, along with supporting materials that demonstrate their artistic work and mission alignment. Before you submit your application please read the 2024 Civic Museum Overview.
Applicants will not be able to save their application and return to it later. Once they hit submit, the application will be finalized and submitted. It is advised that applicants pre-write their answers in a word document and then copy their final responses into the application form. The 2024 Civic Museum Application Questions, the complete list of questions you will find on the application can be found HERE.
Notification of Selection:
Selected organizations will be notified of their acceptance into the program by August 2024. Upon selection, partners will enter into a formal agreement outlining the terms and expectations of the partnership.
Contact Information:
For inquiries or further information regarding the Art in Public Places Civic Museum partnership program, please contact:
Kate Ithurralde
Art in Public Places Manager
kithurralde@slco.org
Public Art Opportunity: Millcreek Community Center
Art in Public Places on behalf of the Millcreek Community Center (located at 2266 East Evergreen Ave., Salt Lake City, UT, 84109) invites artists residing in Utah to submit letters of interest and qualifications for a public art project with a budget of up to $62,000. This open competition aims to select an artist or artist team to create one or more unique interior artworks for the Center's main lobby/atrium. The artwork should enhance the space's architectural features while reflecting Millcreek's community identity and history. It must be of high quality, durable, and maintainable, engaging visitors of all ages with themes of learning, connection, and fun. The submission process consists of two phases: Phase 1 involves submitting qualifications, and Phase 2 will invite up to three finalists for interviews.
Key Dates:
Phase 1
- RFQ Issue Date: Tuesday, October 8, 2024
- Questions Due Date: Wednesday, October 30, 2024
- Qualifications Proposal Due: Friday, November 8, 2024
- Committee Meeting to Review Qualifications: November 20, 2024, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
- Notification of Preliminary Review Decisions: November 22, 2024, at 11:30 AM
Phase 2
- Optional Venue Site Visit: December 5, 2024, at 3:00 PM, Meet in the Main Meeting Room of the Community Center
- Finalists’ Interview with Selection Committee: December 10, 2024 (in person and/or via WebEx)
- Award Notice: December 18, 2024
- Anticipated Notice to Proceed & Installation Completion: TBD
Salt Lake County reserves the right to modify this schedule at its discretion.
To view the full Request for Qualifications, click here and use the keyword "Millcreek" for complete details.
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