REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
Public Art Project
Bible Park
Budget: Approximately $20,000.00 USD
Eligibility: Open to artists or artist teams residing in the state of Colorado
DEADLINE: Tuesday, July 26, 2022, 11:59 pm MST

Introduction
The City of Denver’s Public Art Program seeks to commission an artist or team of artists to create an original public artwork, or series of artworks, for the Bible Park project located at 6802 E. Yale Ave., Denver, CO 80224. An 11-member selection panel of community representatives, arts and culture professionals, and civic leaders has been assembled to identify art opportunities, and to select and recommend an artist or artist team for this project. The selection panel has identified one outdoor location for potential art opportunities and will select one artist or artist team for the allocated total budget of approximately $20,000.00 USD.

Hampden Neighborhood
The Hampden Neighborhood, located in the southeast area of Denver, is bounded by East Hampden Avenue, Havana Street, Yale Avenue and Interstate 25. The neighborhood is just northwest of the Cherry Creek Reservoir and State Park. The neighborhood is well established, and features large residential areas, with mixed-use corridors along major roads, and larger centers at key intersections. Several schools, parks and commercial/retail uses are found within the Hampden neighborhood.

Bible Park
Bible Park is a 66-acre park encompassing several biking and walking trails, including the Highline Canal Trail. The park also includes a portion of Goldsmith Gulch, numerous ballfields, tennis courts, exercise stations and a new playground. This project included the redesign and relocation of the former playground from its previous location on the west side of the park to a more centralized location just north of the ballfields. Project goals included improvements to the playground to meet the needs of children of all ages. Site amenities and accessibility upgrades were also addressed. The existing playground was repurposed into a nature play area and bike/scooter area based on feedback from the community. 

Community representatives on the panel describe the park as having a neighborhood feel; a place where people are friendly and often greet each other. The park is also described as being well-used by the community while not feeling crowded.

Goals, Site, Media & Materials
The selection panel members have set forth specific goals and parameters for this Public Art project with the hope of creating unique and inspiring works of art for park users, pedestrians and bicyclists, and motorists on Yale Avenue.

Goals:
The panel is very invested in celebrating Bible Park and creating artwork that is representative of Denver and other artworks in the collection. The panel is interested in artwork that is vibrant and playful, and that invokes a sense of excitement for those who view it. Bible Park is a gem in the city’s park system and not as well-known as other parks. The panel sees an opportunity to create artwork that provides a sense of place and puts Bible Park on the map. Bible Park has ample opportunities for recreation, both passive and active. The 70-mile High Line Canal that meanders through the Denver Metro Area borders the park on three sides and connects to the park’s trails.

Site:
The panel has identified the park entrance as the preferred location for this Public Art project. This site provides high visibility for park users, and pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists on Yale Avenue. Artwork could be located on either side of the entrance to create a sense of arrival and welcome users to the park.

Media & Materials:
Artworks could be created using diverse media including, but not limited to, paint, sculpture, and mosaic applications. Works that are engaging and help to tell the story of the park, neighborhood and surrounding communities are encouraged. The selection panel is open to artwork in all media and materials that are suitable for outdoor display.

Maintenance & Durability
As this permanent artwork will be accessioned into the Denver Public Art collection, all applicants must consider the issues of long-term conservation and maintenance of public art, along with time and budget. These projects are in the public realm and may therefore be exposed to physical stresses, as well as be subject to vandalism. Public Art projects should be fabricated of highly durable, low-maintenance materials. Finalists are encouraged to consult with a professional conservator prior to the submission of a final proposal. Artist proposals awarded contracts will be reviewed by the City of Denver’s Public Art Committee to ensure conformity with city standards of maintenance and durability, as well as ADA standards. All finalists are expected to stay on budget and to complete work in an approved time frame.

Applying for these opportunities
In response to this RFQ, applicants will be asked to submit the following items via www.callforentry.org (CaFÉ™).

1. Six digital images of past work
2. Résumé
3. Statement of interest no longer than 2,000 characters

From these applications, the selection panel will choose three to five finalists who will create site-specific proposals and be interviewed in-person or virtually. Artists will be paid an honorarium for this work. Artists/teams selected as finalists will be required to submit a Diversity & Inclusiveness Form for their proposals to be considered, which will be provided upon notification. As directed by Executive Order 101, this form must be submitted for all city solicitations of proposals. Denver Arts & Venues Public Art Program staff can provide guidance on filling out this form.

Based on the interview and proposal, an artist or artist team will be selected for this commission.  The selected artist or artist team will work with the Denver Public Art Program and Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) staff when finalizing their designs for installation.

Budget
The budget for this commission is approximately $20,000.00 USD which will be allocated to the artist/team selected. These funds come from the City of Denver’s 1% Percent for Public Art Ordinance resulting from improvements made to the Bible Park playground. This contract amount is inclusive of all costs associated with the project including, but not limited to, the artist’s design fee, other consultation fees such as structural engineering consultation, insurance (including Colorado Workers Compensation), tools, materials, fabrication, transportation, installation, any building or site modification required, travel to and from the site, per diem expenses, project documentation, contingency to cover unexpected expenses, and any other costs. For all work done on City property, prevailing wage requirements will be applied.

Timeline
(Except for online application deadline, timeline is subject to adjustments)

Tuesday, July 26, 2022, 11:59 P.M. MST                Deadline for entry (via CaFÉ™ system)
August 2022                                                            Finalist Selection
December 2022                                                      Selected Artist or Artist Team Notification

Project Selection Panel
According to Denver’s Public Art policy, the project selection panel plays an active role in the commission of public art for Denver. The Bible Park art selection panel is comprised of 10 voting members and one additional non-voting advisor. The selection panel is responsible for reviewing the site, establishing criteria for a request for qualifications, reviewing applications, selecting and interviewing finalists, and selecting an artist or artist team for the commission. 

Selection Process

1. Three to five artists/artist teams will be selected as finalists. Those selected will receive more specific information regarding the site and have the opportunity to meet with community members from the art selection panel, Denver Parks and Recreation and Denver Public Art program staff. The finalists will receive an honorarium to prepare the proposal and present it in-person or virtually.
2. The selection panel will review the proposals, interview the finalists and recommend an artist/artist team for the commission.
3. The final recommendation of the selection panel will be presented to the Public Art Committee, the Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs and the mayor of Denver for final approval.

*All decisions of the City and County of Denver are final.

Application Requirements

Materials to be Submitted
Please read this section carefully. Incomplete applications will NOT be considered. The applicant’s name must appear on all materials submitted.

All materials must be submitted online, via the CaFÉ™ website (www.callforentry.org). There is no application fee to apply or to use the CaFÉ™ online application system.

Digital Images—In order to be considered for this project, the applicant must electronically submit six digital images of previously completed artworks through the online CaFÉ™ system. Artists who wish to submit kinetic, sound or media works must submit a complete CaFÉ™ application and will have the opportunity to upload one video file.

IMPORTANT: if submitting audio or video files, do not use them as your very first image. They must be submitted last in your image sequence.

Instructions on how to format images to CaFÉ™ specifications can be found at https://www.callforentry.org/uploading-images-audio-and-video-files/.

Assistance in using the CaFÉ™ system is available here: https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/.

If an artist does not have access to a computer, s/he/they may call 720-865-5564 to make arrangements to use a computer at Denver Arts & Venues. To request this RFQ in an alternate format (such as Braille, large print or accessible electronic format) please contact DisabilityAccess@denvergov.org.

Statement of Interest—Please submit a brief statement (2,000-character maximum) outlining the following:

• Your interest in the Bible Park Public Art project
• Description of your general concept and design approach
• Please also include information on your experience working with diverse communities and stakeholders

Résumé—Submit a one to two-page current résumé via CaFÉ™ that highlights your professional accomplishments as an artist. Please name your résumé file accordingly: Last name.First initial (i.e. Smith.J.pdf).  Résumés that are more than two pages will not be downloaded. If applying as a team, please submit one résumé with no more than one page per team member.

Survey – Applicants will also be required to fill out a short demographic survey that will be sent to the email on file from the CaFÉ™ application.

References – Applicants who are selected to be finalists will be required to provide three professional references.

Please direct all questions about the project to:
Megan Deffner, Denver Public Art Program Administrator, megan.deffner@denvergov.org, 720-865-5564.

Denver Public Art is also hosting a virtual pre-application meeting on Wednesday, July 6, 5:30-6:30 p.m. for interested applicants. The meeting will cover project backgrounds and goals, and the application process for these three Requests for Qualifications: Bible Park Playground, Larimer Bridge – Connecting Auraria, and the Wastewater Management Building. Attendees will also get information on CallForEntry.org through which artists may apply. This event will be hosted on Zoom. Interested applicants are asked to register to get information on how to join prior to the event.

Eligibility Criteria

Who May Apply
This project is open to artists who reside in the state of Colorado. The City and County of Denver is committed to building a public art collection that represents artists from a broad diversity of race, color, creed, gender, gender variance, sexual orientation, national origin, age, religion, marital status, political opinion or affiliation, and mental or physical disability. The selection panel is especially interested in artists who can demonstrate a deep understanding of the park, its users and the neighborhood, as well as the area’s history and urban landscape.

Can a team apply?
Applicants may apply as a single artist or multi-person collaborative group.  If applying as a team, please submit one résumé for the team, with no more than one page per team member.

Applying for these opportunities
In response to this RFQ, applicants will be asked to submit the following items via www.callforentry.org (CaFÉ™).

1. Six digital images of past work
2. Résumé
3. Statement of interest no longer than 2,000 characters

From these applications, the selection panel will choose three to five finalists who will create site-specific proposals and be interviewed in-person or virtually. Artists will be paid an honorarium for this work. Artists/teams selected as finalists will be required to submit a Diversity & Inclusiveness Form for their proposals to be considered, which will be provided upon notification. As directed by Executive Order 101, this form must be submitted for all city solicitations of proposals. Denver Arts & Venues Public Art Program staff can provide guidance on filling out this form.

Based on the interview and proposal, an artist or artist team will be selected for this commission.  The selected artist or artist team will work with the Denver Public Art Program and Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) staff when finalizing their designs for installation.