REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

Public Art Project

Schlessman Family Library

Budget: Approximately $30,000.00 USD

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

DEADLINE: November 1, 2022, 11:59 P.M. 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 Schlessman Family Library located at 100 Poplar St., Denver, CO 80220. An 11-member selection panel of community representatives, arts and culture professionals, and civic leaders has been assembled to select and recommend an artist or artist team for this project. The selection panel has identified three potential outdoor locations for the artwork and will select one artist or artist team for the allocated total budget of approximately $30,000.00 USD.

Lowry Neighborhood

The Lowry Neighborhood, located in the southeast area of Denver, is bounded by East 11th Avenue, Dayton Street, Alameda Avenue and Monaco Street/Quebec Street. As recently as 160 years ago the inhabitants of the area were native peoples, specifically the Arapaho, Ute and Cheyenne tribes (among other tribes). For decades, the Arapaho camped along Westerly Creek, a creek that ran through what is now the Lowry Neighborhood. This became a meeting point for Native peoples and white settlers chasing for gold. Eventually, following the tragic pattern of involuntary displacement across the nation, the Native tribes were forced to leave. 

The Lowry Air Force Base opened in 1937 and served the country for nearly 60 years, providing sustained aerial operations, aerial photography and armaments technical training. At its height, the base population reached 20,000 military personnel, and operated 24-hours per day. During the Eisenhower Administration, President Dwight Eisenhower and First Lady Mamie Doud Eisenhower used the base as the Summer White House because Mamie’s family lived in Denver. Lowry Air Force Base closed in 1994, having graduated more than 1.1 million students. The base was redeveloped into a master-planned community. Several of the original base structures were repurposed and are still in use today.  

Schlessman Family Library

The Schlessman Family Library opened in 2002, replacing the Montclair Library Branch. The nearly 15,000 sq. ft. library is the second most visited branch in the Denver Public Library system. The design of the library was envisioned as a bridge between the adjacent historic neighborhoods and the aviation history of the former Lowry Air Force Base. The library branch serves a diverse area including families with children across a range of ages, single adults, couples without children, immigrants, older adults, and people living with disabilities. The branch’s collection and programs reflect the neighborhood’s diversity and address their needs and interests.

The Lowry Trios, a 12 painted panel installation by artist Stephen Batura, is inside the library and was commissioned when the library was built. The paintings are based on historic photos of the area.

The branch is named for the Schlessman family, who donated one million dollars for the project, and the donation was combined with bond issue money and funds from the Ross Trust.

The Schlessman Family Branch will be undergoing a renovation to better meet the needs of the community. Improvements include: a renovated library with additional space, updated equipment and technology, improved landscaping and new roof, and enhanced safety and accessibility features.

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 library patrons.

Goals:

The Schlessman Family Library is the second most visited branch in the Denver Public Library system and serves a multigenerational, diverse and broad subset of the community. As such, the panel is interested in artwork that appeals to the library’s many users. The panel is very invested in celebrating the community that visits Schlessman Family Library and creating artwork that is inclusive and accessible. The panel is interested in artwork that is interactive and playful, and that invokes a sense of excitement for those who view it. The panel is also interested in artwork that could provide opportunities for members of the community or nearby schools to be included in its creation.

Site:

The panel has identified three main areas as potential sites for public art, all located outside the library. Selected finalists will create proposals corresponding with one or more of these areas.

Media & Materials:

While the sites are better suited to three-dimensional artwork, the selection panel is open to artworks in all media, materials and formats that are suitable for outdoor display. Works that are engaging and provide different sensory experiences are encouraged.

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 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.

Budget

The budget for this commission is approximately $30,000.00 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 Schlessman Family Library. 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)

November 1, 2022, 11:59 P.M. MST                            Deadline for entry (via CaFÉ™ system)
December 2022                                                           Finalist Selection
March 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 commission of public art for Denver. The Schlessman Family Library art selection panel is comprised of 11 voting members. 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

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.

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 Schlessman Family Library 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.

Eligibility Criteria

Who May Apply

This project is open to artists who reside in the state of Colorado. The selection panel is especially interested in artists who can demonstrate a deep understanding of the library, its users and the neighborhood, as well as the area’s history and urban landscape. 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.

Denver Public Art is also hosting a virtual pre-application meeting on Thursday, Oct. 6, 6 p.m. for interested applicants. The meeting will cover project backgrounds and goals, and the application process. 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 on Eventbrite to get information on how to join prior to the event.