Project Name: Parks Maintenance Facility Exterior Sculpture

Project Number: 2023.058

Project Budget: $200,000

Artist budget includes all costs associated with this public art project including but not limited to, artist fees, insurance conforming to Adams County requirements, permits, site visits and surveys, design, stamped shop drawings, materials, fabrication, travel, transportation and expenses, installation (including site modification and structural support/foundations, unless otherwise noted), post-installation documentation, maintenance plan, consultants' and subcontractors' fees, and all other costs associated with the design, fabrication, transportation, and installation of this public art installation.

Open to: Professional Artists

Project Description:

Adams County seeks a professional artist to design, fabricate, and install an exterior sculpture at the new Adams County Parks Maintenance Facility on Riverdale Road. The facility will house offices and maintenance shops for the Parks, Open Space & Cultural Arts Department, Park Rangers, and staff from the Community Safety and Well-being Department. The sculpture design should speak to the work of these groups.

The sculpture will be located at the building's main entrance and will be visible from Riverdale Road,  the parking lot, and through the primary conference room windows. The installation site is adjacent to Pelican Ponds Open Space and the South Platte River. The artwork should be impactful from all vantage points and work in harmony with the facility's landscaping and the wider nature-scape.

Installation Site:

The sculpture will be installed in front of a new Adams County Parks Maintenance Facility at 9500 Riverdale Road, Thornton, CO 80229. The Facility is located along Riverdale Road, an 11-mile scenic drive connecting the city of Thornton and Brighton. The winding road is lined with beautiful cottonwood trees, beloved by the neighborhood, and rumored to be haunted.   

Pelican Ponds Open Space lies just south of the Maintenance Facility. This 200-acre Open Space was once a sand and gravel mining site that degraded the ecosystem. Parks maintenance staff worked to restore and enhance surface water, wetlands, groundwater, riparian, and grassland habitats in the area. Pelican Ponds Open Space now features areas for natural resource restoration, recreation, and is the site of a future sculpture park. The South Platte Trail, part of Adams County's interconnected trail system, and the South Platte River run through Pelican Ponds and behind the upcoming Parks Maintenance Facility.

The selected artist will work closely with the Parks, Open Space, and Cultural Arts Department, Essenza Architecture, and FCI Constructors to integrate the sculpture into the landscaping.

Click here for site plans and renderings.

Project Vision:

The sculpture design should reflect the mission of the Parks, Open Space, and Cultural Arts Department, to “significantly enhance quality of life, enrich communities, and INSPIRE”, and celebrate maintenance work performed by Parks staff. Artists are encouraged to use or reference natural materials in their design and draw inspiration from:

• The installation site’s history of industry and nature
• Tools and machinery used by Parks staff
• The vast trail system, manicured parks, and wild Open Spaces maintained by Parks staff

Parks staff maintain publicly accessible properties across the county including 11 trails and trailheads, 4 community parks, 1 regional park, and 15 open space properties- totaling 2,166 acres. They are out in the field in sun, rain, and snow so residents can safely access nature and recreation facilities. Parks staff also maintains thousands of acres of land and water for conservation purposes.

Parks staff day-to-day work includes:

• Planting, watering, weeding, trimming, aerating, and fertilizing turf, flower beds, shrubs, bushes, and trees.
• Trimming and pruning bushes, trees, and shrubs to clear sidewalks, signs, and lights, as well as to ensure the continued health of plant life.
• Maintaining and repairing irrigation systems.
• Operating maintenance vehicles and equipment including dump trucks, mowers, edgers, blowers, forklifts, tractors, loaders, and hand and power tools
• Installing, repairing, and maintaining play equipment, picnic tables, and fences.
• Controlling weeds, pests, and plant disease.
• Removing fallen trees and debris resulting from storm damage.
• Performing winterizing maintenance in parks, gardens, and County-owned facilities; removing snow.
• Assisting in the maintenance of roads and parking lots.

Artist Selection Panel and Process:

The Artist Selection Panel is made up of the Adams County Arts & Culture Commission, representatives from the Parks, Open Space & Cultural Arts Department, a member of the member of the general contractors' team, and Thornton community members.

The Artist Selection Panel will review and rate applications and select finalists (3-5) for an in-person interview. Each finalist will be paid an honorarium of $700 for the submission, development, and presentation of a detailed proposal specific to this project. Finalists will have an opportunity to hear more about the project to inform their proposal. Finalists must be prepared to present their design concept(s), installation plan, and maintenance considerations during the interview process.

Application Requirements

All professional artist(s) responding to the Call for Entry must submit complete answers in the CAFÉ application. Responses will be evaluated based on the selection criteria below. Respondents should present the required information clearly and concisely.

1) Work Samples, Image file uploads (5MB limit)

• 5-10 photos and descriptions of past exterior sculpture projects of similar scope.

2) Sculpture Design Concept Visuals, PDF upload (2MB limit)

• Rough sketches and digital renderings accepted. The selected artist will further develop this concept.

3) Sculpture Design Concept Description, Text box

• A brief written description of your initial concept. The selected artist will further develop this concept with Adams County Cultural Arts as they shadow Parks staff and meet with the OAC team to learn more about the project site.

4) Approach to Execution, PDF upload (2MB limit)

• Describe your approach to the execution of this project including proposed materials, method of installation, and timeline.
• Describe your approach to collaborating with project teams including art administrators and landscape architects.

Applications that do not provide the required information will not be considered. All materials must be submitted via the CaFÉ online application system. Email submissions not accepted. There is no application fee to apply. Adams County reserves the right to request any additional information from the individual artist.

Estimated Timeline*:

October 9, 2023: Call-For-Entry Posted

November 5, 2023: Submission Deadline, before 11:59 p.m.

November 7 – 14, 2023: Jury Period

November 15, 2023: Finalists Notified. 3 - 5 Finalists will receive a $700 honorarium to create a detailed project-specific proposal and present their ideas to the artist selection panel in December.

November 16, 2023: Finalist Info Session, virtual, 5 pm - 6 pm.

December 1, 2023: Finalist Proposals Due by 8 a.m.

December 5 & 6, 2023: Finalist Interviews, in person between 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm

December 13, 2023: Project Awarded, contracting begins.

Q1 & 2 2024: Concept Design; the selected artist meets with the Owner, Architect, Contractor team and shadows Parks Staff to inform their concept design.

Q3 2024: Design Refinement; the selected artist meets with Cultural Arts and the OAC team to deliver: a final design, material specs, stamped shop drawings, and permits.

Q4 2024 – Q1 2025: Fabrication; artist meets with Cultural Arts and the OAC team to deliver: an installation plan and maintenance plan

Q2 2025: Installation and Documentation

*Subject to change

Payment Schedule:

The selected artist will be paid 5% ($10,000) upon execution of the contract, including submission of documents and insurance conforming to Adams County standards. The remaining payment benchmarks and associated deliverables will be determined by Adams County Purchasing and Adams Parks, Open Space & Cultural Arts based on the artist's project-specific proposal. Payment benchmarks will be detailed in the contract for this project.

Eligibility Criteria

Evaluation Criteria

 The Artist Selection Panel will individually rate each applicant on the following criteria.

1) Work Samples

• Quality of past work; technical and aesthetic

2) Sculpture Design Concept (applicants will submit visuals and a brief written description of initial ideas.)

• Quality and creativity of concepts proposed.
• Overall fit of the proposed design with project goals, site, and intended audience and installation location.

3) Approach to Execution

• Relevant experience and demonstrated ability to successfully design, fabricate, and administer exterior sculpture public art projects
• Overall fit of the proposed materials and installation plan with project expectations