University of Idaho Joe Vandal Sculpture Commission

The University of Idaho is commissioning a bronze sculpture of Joe Vandal, the university's mascot, to honor the Associated Students of the University of Idaho (ASUI) and their decades of support for campus facilities including the P1FCU Kibbie Dome. The sculpture will be placed in a plaza at the Dome, the university's most visited facility, and will feature Joe Vandal's iconic recognizable features including his goatee, mustache, muscles, and winged helmet.

The selected artist will work collaboratively with a creative committee comprised of past and current ASUI leadership, university advancement staff, and architectural and engineering services representatives. The artist will participate in an iterative, communicative dialogue throughout the creative formation of the sculpture to ensure Joe's features are captured appropriately. The project budget ranges from $175,000 to $200,000 and must cover all fabrication, shipment, installation, artist fees, materials, travel, labor costs, insurance, engineer drawings, taxes, and contingency budget. The sculpture should ideally be installed prior to the first home football game on September 20, 2025, or anytime during the fall 2025 football season, though installation could also occur prior to spring 2026 commencement on May 16, 2026.

Applicants must submit a letter of interest, resume/CV, digital portfolio or images of previous work, professional references, project sketch, methodology, estimated production schedule, cost estimation, and maintenance requirements. The project is open to all established and professional artists in the United States, age 18 and over. University of Idaho alumni are preferred and will receive higher weighted scores than Idaho or Pacific Northwest natives. Selected artists will be notified by September 31, 2024, and must enter into a contract with the University of Idaho, including submission of a Certificate of Liability Insurance and W-9 information.