A Public Art Installation for Salt Lake City's West Side – 9-Line Trail RFQ

The Salt Lake City Arts Council Public Art Program, in collaboration with the Salt Lake City Community Reinvestment Agency (CRA), seeks to commission an artist or artist-led team to create a community-informed public art installation on the west side of the 9-Line Trail. The work should be informed by and created for West Side communities, reflecting their shared values and fostering a sense of belonging. The selected artist or team will build upon findings from extensive engagement efforts summarized in the West Side Public Art Project: Mayor's Goal Engagement Report (2023) and West Side Public Art Project: Community Engagement Report (2025). The resulting artwork should authentically represent the West Side's culture, history, and people, serving as a landmark for both the city and the communities it represents.

The 9-Line Trail is a multi-use pathway stretching across Salt Lake City, connecting neighborhoods, supporting recreation and active transportation, and fostering community gathering. The project area is defined as the public right-of-way portion of the 9-Line Trail within the CRA project area west of Interstate 15. The primary site is the intersection of 900 South and 900 West, envisioned as the central location for a major, iconic installation. Artists will also propose secondary elements along the 9-Line Trail within the CRA project area to extend the impact of the primary installation, which could take the form of wayfinding, gateway elements, or small-scale activations. Key 9-Line Trail nodes within the project area include Redwood Road, Navajo Street, Jordan River Oxbow, and the 15 Underpass/Gateway. Any proposed elements at these nodes must be limited in scope, clearly connected to the primary artwork, and will be reviewed for feasibility and alignment with the trail's broader vision.

The RFQ submission deadline is November 18, 2025 by 11:59 p.m. MST. Work sample requirements include a minimum of 5 and maximum of 10 images, and up to 2 videos. A virtual info session for interested applicants is scheduled for October 28, 2025 at 12:30 p.m. MT. Notification of finalist selection will occur in early December 2025, with a virtual pre-proposal meeting with finalists in mid-December 2025. Finalist artwork proposals are due February 25, 2026 by 5:00 p.m. MT, with final artwork presentation to the Art Design Board on March 4, 2026. The project budget is $420,000. Artists from outside Utah are welcome to collaborate with local artists across any discipline. Contact: [email protected].