REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

Public Art Project

Sloan's Lake Park South Playground

Budget: Approximately $28,000.00 USD

Eligibility: Open to artists or artist teams residing in the state of Colorado

DEADLINE: Monday, Nov. 21, 2022, 11:59 pm MST

Introduction

The City of Denver’s Public Art Program seeks to commission an artist or artist team to create original public artwork(s) for the Sloan’s Lake Park South Playground improvements in the Sloan’s Lake neighborhood of Denver, CO. An 11-member selection panel of community representatives, arts and design 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 multiple outdoor locations near the South Playground for potential artworks and will select one artist or artist team for the allocated total budget of approximately $28,000.00 USD.

Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that the land on which Denver’s Public Art Collection works stand; land where we stand, live, and learn is the traditional territory of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Peoples. We also recognize the 48 contemporary tribal nations that are historically tied to the lands that make up the state of Colorado. Our nation was founded upon and continues to enact exclusions and erasures of Indigenous Peoples. May this acknowledgement demonstrate a commitment to dismantling ongoing legacies of oppression and inequities, as we intentionally honor and celebrate the Indigenous communities in our City and express our gratitude for their ongoing and significant contributions. Let’s not forget that this land was theirs long before we made it ours.

Sloan's Lake

Sloan’s Lake is a neighborhood west of downtown Denver. The neighborhood is named after the 295-acre regional park bounded by West 17th Avenue, Sheridan Boulevard, West Byron Place, Stuart Street and Lakeshore Drive in the heart of the neighborhood. Part of the town originally called Highland (now North Denver or the Northside), the neighborhood is currently in transition due to its proximity to downtown Denver and ongoing development. Arapaho, Cheyenne, Ute, Sioux and Kiowa communities, Mexican and Anglo-American settlers, waves of European and Jewish immigrants, and more recently, Latino and Chicano families have all lived, worked and played in the region. The Sloan’s Lake Neighborhood contains two schools, Brown Elementary and Lake Middle School. The park is home to the annual Colorado Dragon Boat Festival and has previously hosted the North American Indigenous Games. The population of the neighborhood was estimated to be 7,934 in 2017.

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 the diverse communities that use Sloan’s Lake Park and the South Playground area.

Goals:

The panel is very interested in work that addresses the park's family-friendly culture and reflects the neighborhood's rich history. The panel hopes to see artwork that is culturally relevant and speaks to critical conversations of the moment with respect to equity, access and inclusion. The artwork(s) could have an interactive component that engages audiences both day and night. The selection panel encourages artists and artist teams to consider the location, as well as elements that complement the artwork with sound or touch, and further consider accessibility opportunities for visitors and residents who are blind or low vision. The panel also encourages applications from artists who exemplify the collaborative spirit of the public art process, particularly applicants open to working with community stakeholders, the selection panel and city staff.   

Site:

The panel has identified multiple areas as potential sites for public art. The first is the southwest entrance to the South Playground. Other areas include an anticipated rain garden near the north entrance of the South Playground, as well as the ceiling of the shade structure. Selected finalists will have the opportunity for a site visit and will be able to meet with the art selection panel as well as public art staff to ask specific questions about potential sites.

Media & Materials:

Artworks could be created using diverse media including, but not limited to paint, reliefs, sculpture and mosaic applications. Artists and artist teams must demonstrate their sensitivity to materials given the location’s proximity to Sloan’s Lake and indigenous wildlife. Durability and ease of maintenance are also important at these locations. The selection panel is open to artwork in materials that are suitable for outdoor display.

Maintenance & Durability

This artwork will become a permanent addition to 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 will be exposed to physical stresses, as well as be subject to potential 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 coordinate with Denver Public Art Program staff, Denver Parks & Recreation (DPR), and the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) when finalizing their designs for installation.

Budget

The budget for this commission is approximately $28,000.00 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 Sloan’s Lake Park South Playground project. 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, 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 performed on city property, prevailing wage requirements will be applied.

Timeline

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

• Monday, November 21, 2022, 11:59 pm MST - Deadline for entry (via CaFÉ™ system)
• December 2022 - Finalist Selection
• January 2023 - 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 acquisition of public art for the City and County of Denver. The Sloan’s Lake Park art selection panel is comprised of 11 voting members and additional non-voting advisors. The selection panel is responsible for reviewing the site, establishing criteria for a request for qualifications, reviewing applications, selecting and interviewing finalists, and finally for 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 sites and have the opportunity to meet with community members from the art selection panel, Denver Parks & Recreation, the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, 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.

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

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 720-865-5576 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 Sloan’s Lake Park South Playground project
• Your design approach and experience working on projects of this kind, detailing any past projects that have incorporated interactive elements
• Your experience performing project research
• Please also include information about your experience collaborating 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:

Meg Pursell, Public Art Program Administrator, meg.pursell@denvergov.org, 720-865-5576.

Denver Public Art is also hosting a virtual pre-application meeting on Thursday, October 27th, 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: Fairfax Park, Ruby Hill Park, Sloan's Lake Park South Playground, and City Park - Nature Play. 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. If you cannot attend, a recording will be available on the Denver Arts & Venues Vimeo channel.

Eligibility Criteria

Who May Apply

This project is open to artists who reside in the state of Colorado. Denver Arts & Venues is committed to building a public art collection that represents a broad diversity of artists and encourages applicants from historically marginalized and underrepresented communities including artists who identify as Black, Indigenous, Latino/x, People of Color (BILPOC), people with disabilities, and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersexual, asexual, + (LGBTQIA+) communities. Denver Arts & Venues also encourages applicants at various stages in their career and applicants practicing a variety of artistic disciplines.

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.