Donner Trail Park Public Art Commission

Salt Lake City Public Lands, in collaboration with the Arts Council's Public Art Program, invites artists and artist-led teams based in the United States to submit qualifications for a public art commission at Donner Trail Park. The 14.27-acre park, located in the East Bench neighborhood at the base of the Wasatch foothills, will be reimagined to better reflect community needs and identities. The park is known for its open space, nature setting, and views of the Salt Lake Valley. Community feedback indicates residents value connection to nature, solitude, and quiet contemplation.

The reimagined park will include revamped amenities, new wayfinding signage, and landscape architecture elements, including a Memorial Tree Grove designed to enhance natural and contemplative elements. The selected public art installation will serve as a centerpiece for this effort, symbolizing an arrival or destination. The artist or artist-led team will have creative direction in determining how their artwork integrates into the park's landscape architecture. The artwork should be visually engaging while reflecting the natural environment and valley views; may serve multiple purposes such as providing shade, seating, or encouraging contemplation; responds to the park's contemplative setting and unique history; exemplifies strong, imaginative design; considers sustainable concepts and materials; does not require electricity, audio/visual technology, water, or ongoing resources; and meets all public safety, structural, maintenance, ADA, and applicable legal standards.

The total commission is $107,500, inclusive of all artist fees and related expenses for design, engineering, materials, fabrication, insurance, transportation, travel, and installation. Artists should include a contingency plan of at least 10% of the commission in their final proposal budget. Up to three finalists will be selected to prepare artwork proposals. The RFQ submission deadline is December 6, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. MST. A virtual info session is scheduled for November 16, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. MST (attendance encouraged but not required). Finalists will be notified in early January 2024, with a required finalists meeting in mid-to-late January 2024. The final artist proposal presentation is scheduled for April 3, 2024, with installation completion and ribbon-cutting planned for spring/summer 2025.