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.
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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.