Recently, Amy Childress sent us a press release for the Salt Lake City Arts Council’s Pre-Qualified Artist Pool. We sent her back a few rapid-fire questions, for a feature we call “On the Spot,” where we get to know better the art professionals filling up our inbox.
What are you reading lately?
I have been really into science fiction lately and have been reading the “Pandominion” series by M.R. Carey.
What hangs above your mantel?
Lots of plants and a painting by Stacy Phillips.
What is your favorite building in Utah?
The Springville Museum of Art.
What is the most memorable exhibit you’ve seen recently?
Sandy Brunvand and Mitsu Salmon at Finch Lane Gallery.
Amy Childress is a writer, book artist, and educator whose work explores the quiet parallels between natural phenomena and human relationships.
Childress grew up among the majestic mountains of the Wasatch Front but decided to go to the flat midwest for her graduated degree. She holds an MFA in Book Arts and an MA in Library Science from the University of Iowa, where she also developed Inhabited: finding refuge in an unknown landscape, a multi-part body of work created in response to the pandemic and shaped by her time in the Iowa landscape. Her artist books and broadsides—often printed on handmade, plant-dyed paper—are held in academic and museum collections across the country.
Childress has taught workshops at the University of Utah, the Morgan Paper Conservatory, and several nonprofit organizations. In August 2023, she joined the Salt Lake City Arts Council as Public Art Program Coordinator.
Salt Lake City’s Public Art Program commissions and integrates high-quality, site-specific artwork into parks, sidewalks, buildings, and other public spaces across all seven City Council districts. Established through the Percent for Art ordinance in 1984, the program currently allocates 1.5% of eligible municipal construction costs to support public art. In addition to permanent commissions, the program facilitates temporary installations, artist collaborations with city planning teams, and infrastructure-integrated works. By supporting both Utah-based and out-of-state artists, the program strengthens local creative careers while fostering a diverse and vibrant public realm.
Currently, the Public Art Program is accepting submissions for its 2026–2028 Pre-Qualified Artist Pool, a curated roster of Utah-based artists and artist-led teams eligible for upcoming commissions. Selected through a competitive process by the Salt Lake City Art Design Board, the pool includes both emerging and established artists working in a variety of media. In addition to being considered for city-funded projects, artists in the pool are featured on a public roster often consulted by private developers, city departments, and community groups.
The deadline to apply is Friday, October 31, 2025, by 5:00 PM MST, and all applicants must reside in Utah. For more information, go here.
Amy Childress’ “Inhabited: finding refuge in an unknown landscape”
This is our chance to check in with members of Utah’s art community to see what they’ve been reading, seeing, doing.
Categories: On the Spot | Visual Arts
