[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] realART gallery announces a call for artists for their Spring Juried Show. Exhibitions include an eclectic mix of sculpture, painting, and photography. This exhibition will take place April 5 – May 5, 2023.
Click here for the application / registration
Deadline: 15 March 2023
Application fee is $35.
The Spring Juried Show juror, Sylvia White, has owned and operated galleries in New York, Santa Monica, and Ventura for over 30 years.
The exhibition will remain on view for one month. Artists will be featured on realArt gallery’s website and the e-commerce platform, 1stDibs which boasts 8 million unique online visitors per month. The gallery will retain a 40% commission on any work sold.
About realART gallery
realART gallery is a 2800 square foot gallery space in an historic shopping district in Agoura Hills, California. The gallery has represented Ed Moses, Ed Ruscha, Viola Frey, William Wiley, and others.
For more information, contact realsylviawhite@gmail.com.
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[Sponsored Listing] The Central Avenue Special Improvement District Management Corporation (CASID), in partnership with the City of Jersey City and the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs Office, is pleased to announce a new call for artists for a Central Avenue Artwork Installation, aiming to expand the outdoor art gallery along Central Avenue, Jersey City.
Click here for the application / registration
Deadline: 30 Jul 2021
The CASID is seeking well-executed proposals for its main street community. Proposals should be family-friendly and suitable for all ages. Selected artwork will be commissioned for installation late summer/ early fall 2021 and paid upon completion. Central Avenue is a ¾ mile main thoroughfare consisting of 240 storefronts and is centrally located in Hudson County (estimated population 672,400).
The Central Avenue Artwork Installation artwork should complement Central Avenue’s main street environment and contribute to positive energy, boost morale, and upbeat attitudes among residents, visitors, and shoppers. This project will further the neighborhood’s long-term goal of adding art destination to Hudson County’s distinct resume.
The artist with the winning mural design(s) will receive agreed monetary compensation and be featured on the organization’s website and other social media accounts such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Artists will have the opportunity to address the public at a press conference.
“My wife and I found this so appropriate since the people of Jersey City were incredibly friendly and appreciative. People either walking by or shouting from their car windows said Thank You. WOW! I should be thanking them. The people of Jersey City were so engaged; this made the artwork for us. We painted a traffic box, but the people gave it the meaning we intended. That is, people being connected, sharing, and helping one another. Another observation was that the people were wearing their face masks – the caring for one another was evident. Thank you to the people of Jersey City and to Alexa, Executive Director of Central Avenue SID Management Corp.” – Micheal Cooper artist for “Together Again & Again” located off of Central and Bower St in September 2020.
About Central Avenue Special Improvement District Management Corporation
Central Avenue in Jersey City prides itself on the outdoor art gallery along the shopping corridor. New Jersey Advance Media named Central Avenue the most eye-popping one mile walk in Jersey City in 2019. This year will mark Central Avenue’s twelfth consecutive year installing artwork. With over 20 art pieces on the avenue, colorful artwork is appreciated by hundreds of shoppers each day. Heights neighborhood as a hub of culture and commerce. This new installation will add to a flourishing outdoor art gallery which already includes art on seven traffic boxes and five splendid murals. The main street shopping district in adjacent to the Riverview Arts District and this project will further the neighborhood’s long-term goal of adding “art destination” to Hudson County’s distinct resume.
For more information, contact ALima@jcheights.com.
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[Sponsored Listing] Creative Sonoma announces a call for artists for the Meredith Pier Public Art Project in Bodega Bay, CA. This opportunity is for a public art installation located at the site of the former Meredith Pier. The Meredith Fish Company pier and cannery building was originally built nearly 80 years ago, which was abandoned and then fell into disrepair. The site was formally condemned in 2004 as physically and environmentally unsafe posing dangers to residents, visitors, the water surrounding it, and its ecosystems. The pier is currently being demolished, leaving behind a cement “footprint” on which this public art project will be sited.
Click here for the application / registration
Deadline: 12 Apr 2021
Bodega Bay is the ancestral land of the Coast Miwok Native Americans. The community has a rich and diverse history of cultures, industries, and economies. Potential themes for the artwork include, but are not limited to:
- Acknowledgement of the area’s history and the heritage that carries forward
- Homage to the lives of the people who have and currently populate the area, as well as those who have lost their lives at sea as an opportunity for reflection and contemplation by their friends and families
- Celebration of the ecology and conservation of the Bodega Bay waterway
A Sonoma County artist will have the opportunity to install art on a site that holds a lot of history, and something for the future. Projects will be funded up to $10,000. This should be inclusive of artist fees as well as all expenses related to design development including engineering, fabrication, transportation, installation of the artwork, insurance, and other project related expenses.
About Creative Sonoma
Creative Sonoma provides programs and services to help their creative community do what they do better. They believe that creativity lives in us all – it just takes a little care and feeding. They believe that the people who have spent a career exercising their creative muscles make the community more vibrant, interesting, provocative, and satisfying. In this case, they believe that more is more.
Creative Sonoma defines the creative community as individuals, organizations, and businesses whose work is creative at its core. That means artists, craftspeople, nonprofits, and business enterprises working across all creative disciplines and genres. They consider writers, actors, dancers, musicians, filmmakers, technologists, design firms, galleries, recording studios, metal workers, instrument manufacturers, and many more to be a part of the creative community.
For more information, contact creativesonoma@sonoma-county.org.
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The Arts Council of Lake Oswego (ACLO) is pleased to invite artist submissions of up to three works of art per artist for outdoor public display in Lake Oswego’s nationally recognized, award-winning outdoor Gallery Without Walls exhibit. In its twenty first year, this program’s mission is to integrate art into the daily lives of local residents and visitors by presenting works from artists that resonate with people of diverse backgrounds. Public Art in Lake Oswego fosters a sense of place for the City, it enriches built and natural environments, encourages economic development, promotes sustainability, and provides opportunities for exploration, discovery, and delight.
Click here for the application / registration
Deadline: 23 Nov 2020
Artists can submit completed works and proposals for new works to be completed by installation in August of 2021. Artwork will be on display throughout the downtown business district for a two-year exhibition period starting in the summer of 2021 and ending in the summer of 2023. Submissions will be evaluated by a Selection Committee based upon the overall quality and merit of the submitted art works. The Arts Council seeks works of a variety of media including sculpture, new media, projections, and murals. They encourage proposals that engage, educate, and inspire the community. Submissions of artwork that has been created within the last three years is highly encouraged.
Gallery Without Walls Program Goals
- Display quality art work suitable for public display in a downtown, outdoor setting
- Support artists in showing their work to new audience
- Display art that contributes to the sense of pride in our community
- Strengthen and sustain our nationally recognized GWW program
Logistics
Artworks are generally displayed on concrete plinths of varying sizes and locations. There are options (while limited) for earth mounting works in a park or green space as well as utilizing building facades for proposed murals, projections, or similar. A limited number of plinth locations have electrical capability. Selected artists will be notified of their anchoring/display method in May. Anchor methods are either anchor bolts or weld only depending on the assigned site location. The engineer typically requires 1/2″ Titen HD bolts that screw through the sculpture base. Bolts are provided by the Arts Council. Base plate holes must be drilled to 3/4″ to accommodate bolts.
Concrete pads range in size from 2 x 2′ – 7 x 7′ (4 – 49 square ft.). Weld only pads require weld-able tabs on the sculpture/sculpture base. If welding, ACLO will provide a welder and contractor on-site for installation and de-installation. The Arts Council’s provided contractor will install all works of art and artists (or an artist representative) are required to attend installation.
Upon installation and during the two-year exhibition period, the City will maintain liability insurance to cover any damages, should they occur. It is the artist’s responsibility to deliver and be present (or send a representative) for installation and de-installation of the work. Artwork cannot be shipped as there are no available vehicles, storage space, or staff for this purpose.
The Arts Council reserves the right to reject work that, upon delivery, differs from the original proposal, or does not meet standards of durability, safety and quality. Artists in the current 2020-2022 GWW exhibition are ineligible to apply and encouraged to apply next year
Gallery Without Walls Artist Benefits
Up to fifteen artists will be chosen by the Selection Committee to display in Lake Oswego, OR. Selected artists will be:
- Awarded an honorarium of $1000
- Eligible for an annual People’s Choice purchase award of up to $20,000 (with a 30% gallery fee)
- Invited to attend the annual Gallery Without Walls Celebration in September. (This is a community celebration premiering the new sculptures and recognizing artists and all who support this wonderful program.)
Selected artists will enter into a two-year contract with the City of Lake Oswego for the exhibition loan period. During the exhibition period, works will be available for sale with a 30% gallery fee, if sold, paid to the Arts Council. Sold artworks must remain on display for the contracted exhibition period.
About the Arts Council of Lake Oswego
The Arts Council of Lake Oswego works to ensure the arts are an integral part of life in the community. With the purpose of placement and preservation of public art in Lake Oswego, ACLO provides access to art exhibitions for residents and visitors, and advance lifelong learning about the arts through educational programs and docent tours. The Arts Council of Lake Oswego administers the public art program partnering with the City and community to select, site, and maintain the nationally recognized Gallery Without Walls public art program, maintains the City’s permanent art collection of over 250 works, and provides accessible arts programming for the community.
For more information, contact sgjohnson@lakeoswego.city.
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MIRA and MASSIVart invite national and international artists to develop a proposal for a permanent public artwork to be located in the public plaza of MIRA’s latest real estate development in Mexico City, Neuchâtel’s Cuadrante Polanco.
Click here for the application / registration
Deadline: 29 Jun 2020
The call for artists will be two-phased:
- The first stage will shortlist three to four applicants based on qualifications demonstrated from the applicant’s Curriculum Vitae, portfolio of work, and preliminary artistic approach.
- In the second stage, each of the three or four artists or artist teams/collectives will be given a compensatory fee to create a detailed artist proposal including written information, a budget, sketches and renders, preliminary construction plan, and other descriptive presentation materials as needed to fully describe the concept intent.
The artists selected during the 1st phase will be aligned with the artistic direction of MIRA and MASSIVart as well as the vision of Neuchâtel Cuadrante Polanco, which is led by a desire to create an iconic and timeless art installation that has the power to engage passersby.
Neuchâtel’s Cuadrante Polanco Public Art Budget Details
A total budget of 6,000,000.00 MXN Pesos will be allocated to the art installation’s project to give artists the opportunity to create an iconic landmark for Mexico City while beautifying the urban public landscape.
Each shortlisted artist appearing before the jury will receive, in consideration of detailed proposal and presentation, a fee of $15,000.00 MXN pesos + taxes, which will be paid to him or her on presentation of an invoice.
Fees and charges granted under this by-law are subject to the prescribed taxes.
About MASSIVart
MASSIVart is a global art consultancy and production agency. They collaborate with emerging and established artists, architects, developers, designers, and creative talent to create art-driven events, architectural design, commissioned works of art and, cultural programs.
MASSIVart conceives creative destinations that bring people together, create emotional connections, and offer authentic brand experiences. With a team of producers, art directors, curators, and designers who are consistently at the forefront of the global art and culture scene, they create exclusive content, develop impactful design, and connect artists to the public while highlighting partners and clients in innovative ways.
For more information, contact neuchatel@massivart.com.
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Gensler, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), and Jair Lynch Real Estate Partners (JLREP) are soliciting qualifications from accomplished artists or artist teams to create a site-specific WMATA public artwork for the new WMATA Regional Headquarters Facility at 2395 Mill Road, Alexandria VA. The building entry facade and lobby spaces have been identified as possible locations for the artwork in order to create the best experience for WMATA employees, visitors, and members of the public.
Click here for the application / registration
(Use the arrows on the side of the screen to navigate the application information.)
Deadline: 12 Jun 2020
The WMATA Eisenhower Avenue building is a 14-story headquarters facility that will consolidate several departments including the authority’s Technology and Engineering groups. It will foster a culture that is safety-focused, customer-centric, and technology-enabled as well as create a rich, immersive employee experience. The building will feel welcoming, open, and accessible. The building’s entry lobby is a light-filled, double-height space wrapping the southwest corner of the building.
Parameters and Goals
The Authority has a history of and expectation for design excellence and, through its Art in Transit Program, has been working to obtain unique, memorable, and engaging site-specific, public artworks. The artists/artist teams shall develop aesthetically attractive public artworks that capture the Authority’s mission and reflect the artistic, cultural and/or historical interests of the surrounding communities. Consideration shall be given to creative uses of materials, massing, scale, form, texture, and detailing. Artworks shall be visually attractive, innovative, and durable. The selected site-specific artworks should impart a sense of pride within the local community and provide a stimulating and attractive environment for the people who will experience the artworks daily.
The artwork selection will follow a two-phase process referred to as Phase 1 and Phase 2. The artist selection panel seeks a pool of applicants with a successful history of public art and collaboration with public agencies and/or design build projects.
Phase 1
Requires artists/artist teams to prepare and submit qualifications as appropriate for the scope of work and qualifications submittal requirements as set forth in this solicitation. An artist selection panel led by WMATA and JLREP, and comprising art and design professionals, will select at least three artists/artist teams as determined by this RFQ’s evaluation criteria.
The selected artists/artist teams will each receive a $1,500 design fee to prepare and submit a site-specific artwork proposal that will comply with the prescribed concepts. These artists/artist teams will then proceed to Phase 2 of the selection process.
Phase 2
WMATA and JLREP will invite the selected artists/artist teams whose qualifications are deemed acceptable to receive detailed contract information for the purpose of submitting site-specific, Phase 2 artwork proposals. WMATA and JLREP expects the proposals to include all premiums required to complete the project on or ahead of the schedule listed in the present RFQ.
As part of the proposal, the artists/artist teams are expected to provide a site-specific design and the estimated costs for fabrication, installation, engineering/architectural coordination, technical, clerical, and other services necessary as well as schedules required for the fabrication and installation of the artwork. The artist/artists team’s experience and professional record should provide convincing evidence of their ability to successfully complete the project as proposed.
The artist selection panel will rank each site-specific artwork based on the evaluation criteria listed in this RFQ and make a recommendation to the WMATA General Manager for approval. JLREP will then enter into negotiations with the top-ranked artists/artist team to finalize the contract award process. If JLREP is unable to reach agreement with the top ranked artists/artist team, they will end negotiations and begin negotiations with the next ranked artists/artist team.
WMATA Public Artwork Budget
The maximum budget for the site-specific art project is not to exceed $250,000 all-inclusive of design (artist fee included), construction, and installation as well as other miscellaneous costs. The budget for artwork as outlined in this call for artists is subject to the availability of funds.
About Gensler
Gensler is one community. Their community is focused on improving the human experience, guided by a vision that’s committed to making a better world and realized through the positive changes they make in people’s lives. When they move forward together, the impact is real. Their incredible global team of 6,000+ people is shaping the future of cities every day. It starts with a vision: to Create a Better World Through the Power of Design. This vision comes to life across expertise in 24 practice areas, client relationships, a network of global and local leaders, and diversity of talent.
About Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) was created by an interstate compact in 1967 to plan, develop, build, finance, and operate a balanced regional transportation system in the national capital area. Metro began building its rail system in 1969, acquired four regional bus systems in 1973, and began operating the first phase of Metrorail in 1976. Today, Metrorail serves 91 stations and has 117 miles of track. Metrobus serves the nation’s capital 24 hours a day, seven days a week with 1,500 buses. Metrorail and Metrobus serve a population of approximately 4 million within a 1,500-square mile jurisdiction. Metro began its paratransit service, MetroAccess, in 1994; it provides about 2.3 million trips per year.
For more information, contact Barton_Bland@gensler.com.
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The City of Aurora Art in Public Places Program (AIPP) and the On Havana Business Improvement District (Havana BID) announce a call for artists for Art 2C on Havana. Outdoor sculpture will be considered for an exhibition on Havana Street in Aurora, CO, for two years. The exhibit is scheduled to open in October, 2020. Selected artists should anticipate installing their artwork in the first week of October, 2020 and de-installing it in mid-September, 2022.
Click here for the application / registration
Deadline: 29 Mar 2020
On Havana Street and the City of Aurora’s Art in Public Places program are proud to partner to bring the Tenth Annual Art 2C on Havana. This highly successful and anticipated exhibition brings twelve temporary sculptures bi-annually to the business district. The exhibition provides residents and visitors with a unique way to experience the Business District. Public art such as this provides sculptors with opportunities to share their work, gain recognition for the quality of their work, and compete for cash awards.
Eligibility
- Artists must reside in one of the following states: Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Kansas, or Nebraska
- Exhibit for the full length of the exhibition, approximately two years
- Ready for exhibition
- Fulfill the design and selection criteria
Design and Selection Criteria
- Quality of workmanship
- Three dimensional, freestanding sculpture of any medium suitable for outdoor exhibition
- Artwork must be made from a material appropriate for outdoor exhibition. It must be able to withstand the changing weather conditions of Colorado. These include high summer temperatures (above 100F), low winter temperatures (below 0F), temperatures that can vary more than 40 degrees in a few hours, high winds, hail and significant snowfall.
- Size: minimum 4’ and maximum 14’ in height
- Weight: minimum 100 lbs and maximum 4,000 lbs in weight
- Artwork should not contain sharp objects or edges
- Artwork must be durable, require little to no maintenance, be graffiti resistant, and be prepared for installation
Installation Criteria
- Selected artists should expect to install their artwork by the first week of October, 2020
- Artists must transport, install, and de-install their own artwork. (Assistance and equipment can be provided if requested at the time of acceptance.)
- All sculptures must be attached to a steel plate that will be bolted to a concrete base. Alternative methods must be approved by AIPP and Havana BID staff at the time of acceptance
- AIPP staff must be present when the artwork is installed and de-installed (removed) from the site
Detailed Installation Plan Description
- Title of artwork
- Artist name and contact information for day of installation
- Dimensions of artwork
- Weight of artwork
- Dimensions of connecting plate
- Type and size of bolt required to connect to concrete base
- Equipment required for installation (e.g. crane, drill, hammer)
- Number of people required to install the artwork
Art 2C On Havana Artist Benefits
Exhibiting artists will be paid a $2,500 stipend for the transportation, installation, and de-installation of their artwork.
The Havana BID is providing funds for cash awards in the following amounts:
- 1st Place: $1,250
- 2nd Place: $750
- 3rd Place: $500
Sculptures may be purchased from the Art 2C on Havana exhibition and will be advertised as such. Aurora AIPP may purchase sculpture from the exhibit to be added to the City’s public art collection.
About City of Aurora Art in Public Places
The City of Aurora Art in Public Places program has made it possible for locally and nationally renowned artists to enhance the city’s public spaces with works of art ranging from indoor wall hangings to monumental outdoor sculptures and architecturally integrated works. The collection includes about 300 pieces valued at approximately $4 million, creating cultural landmarks that serve as a cornerstone of the city’s identity.
The Art in Public Places program is governed by a nine-member, Aurora City Council-appointed commission. The mission of the Art in Public Places Commission is to create great places that contribute to neighborhood development, economic vitality, and enrich and engage the community of Aurora.
For more information, contact publicart@auroragov.org.
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The city of Ketchum, Idaho, announces a call for artists to apply for Ketchum’s summer sculpture exhibition, “Art on Fourth.” In its thirteenth year, Art on Fourth has become an exciting part of the city’s summer attractions, presenting artwork by diverse artists ranging from locals to those of national standing. Past exhibitors include Rod Kagan, Boaz Vaadia, Gwynn Murrill, Steve Jensen, Will Robinson, and Robert Kantor.
Click here for the application / registration
Deadline: 6 Apr 2020
Original three-dimensional artwork by selected artists will be displayed in outdoor public spaces along Ketchum’s Fourth Street Heritage Corridor from June through October 2020. As part of Ketchum’s Downtown Master Plan, the Fourth Street Heritage Corridor was created as a pedestrian friendly street. Widened sidewalks feature benches and sites for artwork.
Selected artists will receive a $2,500 stipend for the exhibition of their work. The exhibition will be featured on the city’s website; the city’s newsletter, Word on the Street with a distribution list that includes over 5,000 subscribers; and shared with almost 2,000 followers on Instagram and over 3,300 followers on Facebook.
About the City of Ketchum
The city of Ketchum is located in the Wood River Valley in south central Idaho. Founded in 1880 during the mining boom, Ketchum is now regarded as one of the most popular destinations for winter and summer visitors due to its world-class skiing, mountain biking, fishing, hiking, restaurants, shopping, and sophisticated arts and cultural offerings.
In 2018, Ketchum was awarded designation by the International Dark-Sky Association as a Dark Sky Community. It is included in the Nation’s first International Dark Sky Reserve, one of only 13 in the world. The city of Ketchum hosts the famous annual Wagon Days Parade, held on Labor Day weekend, and numerous other year-round attractions. Ketchum is home to more than 10,000 full- and part-time residents.
For more information, contact lenourato@ketchumidaho.org.
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ArtPrize Grand Rapids announces a call for artists for a Public Art Grant. On March 16, the selected artists will each have five minutes to pitch their installation ideas for ArtPrize 2020 to a panel of art experts from around the country. ArtPrize will work to connect the selected artist with firms providing in-kind services, designed to assist with project budgets. These firms can include shipping, construction, engineering and materials. These donations are not guaranteed.
Click here for the application / registration
Deadline: 14 Feb 2020
The ArtPrize competition, which takes place every other fall in Grand Rapids, MI, is open to any artist and decided by public vote. It invites artists to try out new ideas for an audience. Registered artists and venues connect online at artprize.org and agree to present the artwork for public display during the 19-day event. The public votes using mobile devices and the web to distribute $250,000 in cash prizes.
In 2018, the tenth installment of ArtPrize included over 1,260 entries representing 40 countries and 41 U.S. states and territories. ArtPrize annually attracts more than half a million active participants. Since its inception, individuals of all backgrounds have cast more than 3.4 million votes for public art.
Public Art Grant Participant Benefits
$15,000 will be provided to the winning artist to offset costs for
- Transportation and installation of artwork to ArtPrize
- Maintaining the installation throughout the event
- Removing installation after ArtPrize 2020
- Restoring installation site to its original condition (Leave No Trace)
Following this open call for proposals, five finalists from anywhere in the U.S. will be provided with a stipend of $500 to travel to Austin during SXSW Interactive. Each artist will present for five minutes, using up to five slides to describe their proposal to a live audience and a panel of five judges. One artist receives a $15,000 grant to install the project at ArtPrize 2020, slated to take place from September 16 to October 4, 2020. At ArtPrize, the project will compete for $250,000 in prizes determined by public vote.
About ArtPrize Grand Rapids
The ArtPrize organization produces citywide contemporary art experiences that encourage critical discourse, celebrate artists, transform urban space, and promote cultural understanding.
For more information, contact pitchnight@artprize.org.
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The City of Aurora Art In Public Places Program selection panel is seeking to commission an artist for the Iliff Station Roundabout Sculpture. Create a sculptural environment composed of multiple components within this roundabout which is about 70’ in diameter. There is no public access to the roundabout, so the artwork should be designed to be viewed by car or from the various streets surrounding the site. Benches, interactive art, or highly detailed artwork would not be appropriate for this project.
Click here for the application / registration
Deadline: 21 Oct 2019
The artwork should have physical presence and be scaled appropriately for this site. Due to the size of the roundabout, multiple elements working together to create a singular composition would be ideal. It must be designed to be appreciated from all sides. The artwork could be colorful and kinetic. The artwork should not be too shiny or reflective, or in any way create a distraction for drivers.
The elements can be large and massive enough to block direct views across the roundabout. This enables drivers to focus on what is ahead of them, not across or through the roundabout. Thematically, the artwork could embrace a transportation related theme, such as people using various transportation modes literally or abstractly. Transportation modes might represent the diversity of abilities. It could include elements such as walkers, wheelchairs, strollers, canes, bicycles, cars, trains, feet, scooters, motorcycles, skis, sleds, canoes, kayaks, rafts, and airplanes as well as innovative and futuristic options.
The artwork must be constructed from materials that are sufficiently durable to withstand the Colorado climate and altitude. These conditions include extreme temperature changes (over 40 degrees) in just a few hours and subzero temperatures as well as temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, high winds, intense sun, low humidity, and precipitation in the form of rain, hail, sleet, and snow.
Budget: $215,158 (There is a separate budget that the city will use for site preparation and minimal landscaping appropriate to the nature of the sculpture.)
About the City of Aurora
The Iliff Station Roundabout Sculpture will be located in Aurora, CO. Aurora is Colorado’s third largest city, and the safest large city in Colorado, spanning three counties in the eastern Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area. The city embraces a highly diverse population of over 350,000 residents who enjoy access to quality education, Colorado’s natural beauty and active lifestyle, and an array of cultural amenities within the context of a vibrant and growing community. Aurora is home to top national employers in aerospace and defense, bioscience, healthcare, and alternative energy.
Situated on prairie grasslands, rolling hills and the northern tip of the Black Forest, Aurora offers a unique quality of life that blends a traditional sense of community with a range of outdoor and leisure activities. Residents enjoy a wealth of opportunities and are proud to call Aurora home.
Aurora Regional Transportation District
Aurora welcomed the light rail in early 2017 with the opening of R-Line as a branch of the public transportation network provided by the Regional Transportation District (RTD.) The R-Line is known for the strong public art at each station which resulted from a robust partnership between the city of Aurora (COA) and RTD. The New York Times magazine listed Aurora as one of the top places to see public art in 2017. Two sculptures adorn the Iliff Station environment, one located at the station, and the other located outside the Iliff Station Parking Garage. In this area, the R-Line follows the path of 1-225, a major highway providing access to Denver International Airport
Opportunities abound for transit-oriented development (TOD) along the R- line, especially around each station. The area around the Iliff Station has seen rapid transformation with the addition of contemporary high-density apartment living and mixed-use development in an area better known for single family housing on good sized lots and age-restricted retirement communities. These three and four-story apartment complexes in a pedestrian friendly environment are designed to meet the needs of the young professionals attracted to the employment opportunities and active life-style of this growing community.
In addition to the city’s 1% for Art Ordinance, Aurora has an ordinance requiring art within transit-oriented-development districts. New apartments just north of the station are already home to a highly visible ceramic mural entitled “Double Dip.” The Iliff Station Roundabout Sculpture will be located just south of the parking garage. The addition of sculpture on this roundabout will help to establish this area as a new public art hub within a community where the arts are thriving.
About the Art In Public Places Program
Aurora’s Art in Public Places Program enhances the quality of life in Aurora as high-quality neighborhoods and public spaces are developed and maintained. Locally and nationally renowned artists have created 240 individual pieces to enhance the city’s public spaces with works of art ranging from outdoor sculptures and murals to functional works integrated into the architecture. The program is funded from a city ordinance requiring the dedication of 1 percent of the funds used to build city of Aurora construction and remodeling projects with budgets of $100,000 or more. Grants and fundraising efforts also fund city public art projects.
The Art in Public Places Program is governed by the nine-member Aurora City Council-appointed Art in Public Places Commission. The commission is responsible for making recommendations to the city council regarding the public art program, including project budget allocation, strategic planning, development of policies and procedures,and approval of artwork to be commissioned or purchased.
For more information, contact rbloom@auroragov.org.