The City of Loveland Art in Public Places is accepting Requests for Qualifications for an Artist to create unique works of public artwork for the new Willow Bend Neighborhood Park, Universal Access Playground, and Natural Area (Willow Bend) in Loveland, Colorado.  The selected artists for the site should have demonstrated experience in designing and/or fabricating creative playgrounds and/or park elements that reach beyond ADA requirements to create a multisensory experience for park visitors with limited mobility, hearing impairment, cognition challenges, sight restrictions, etc. Public artwork must be accessible to individuals with a range of needs. Willow Bend will be the first universally accessible playground in the City of Loveland and one of only a few such specialized facilities in the Colorado Front Range area.  

PROJECT OVERVIEW 
Willow Bend Park was named for the great number of willows growing within this property.  Willow Bend Neighborhood Park, Playground and Natural Area will encompass roughly 125 acres of property located southeast of downtown Loveland.  The northern portion of the property is focused on active play and gradually transitions to a more passive, natural environment at its southern end including a variety of trails, fishing ponds, and wildlife areas.  The natural area portion of the site also includes a new environmental education area with its own parking lot, restrooms, and an ADA fishing dock.  The network of trails from surrounding communities comes through the Willow Bend area, as well. Because of the natural environment, there is a desire for a natural, whimsical, and/or fantasy-like theme for public artwork. 

PROJECT TIMELINE: The project is expected to break ground in late fall 2023 and open by late summer/early fall 2024.  

Finalists for this project will be provided with images and videos of the site.  Voluntary site visits may be done with City staff.  Several areas have been identified as key locations for public artwork; however, finalists will have the freedom to present designs for areas of their choice.

Identified areas of interest:

• The unique, whimsical, or nature-based playground theme
• The entry to the neighborhood park is also important and can be distinguished with art
• A new shared access point coming into the property might be a good point for a gateway piece, a pavilion, and a large, universally accessible multi-generational and interactive playground.

Application Requirements

APPLICATION PROCESS 
Qualifications and professional samples of past public artworks are required to be considered for this project. From this RFQ, up to three finalists may be selected to present design concepts for this project. Finalists will be paid an honorarium to develop and present their artwork design concepts. Please do not submit proposals to this RFQ, as those proposals will be removed from the jury process. 

All applications must be submitted through the CAFÉ website at: www.callforentry.org and must include: 

• preliminary statement of approach for the project, which communicates experience with projects of similar scope and scale
• at least 5 images of fabricated and installed public artwork completed within the past five years that highlights artist's previous accomplishment(s) with installations of similar appropriate scale. No more than 2 images per project are permitted. Do not submit images of past proposals that have not been executed. Minimum: 5; Maximum: 10 images
• professional resume(s) for all artist(s), specifically highlighting similar outdoor commissions and/or sculpture installations
• 3 professional references per artist(s)

ARTWORK JURY OVERVIEW
AIPP staff will oversee operations and administer the decisions of the jury panel.

• Artwork Selection Panel: Members of the City of Loveland Visual Arts Commission, members of the Parks Department, and up to 5 Loveland residents may serve as jurors for the project to select finalists.
• Jurors may choose up to three finalists to present conceptual drawings.  These finalists will be paid an honorarium to compensate them for their time and effort to create a presentation.
• A detailed budget will be required of the finalists. The detailed budget must include all expenditures in connection with the execution of the project. (Before submitting a proposal, artists must ensure the project can be executed as presented.)
• Selected finalists may present artwork within their inventory, provided there is no other work in that edition installed within a 60-mile radius of the installation site.
• The selected artist/artist team will enter into a contract with the City of Loveland and will be required to carry general liability insurance of $1 million and execute the design as presented. Stamped, engineered drawings are required before acceptance and installation.
• The selected artist/artist team will work closely with Cultural Services and Parks staff throughout the project timeline to ensure project requirements are met.
• The project completion date will be determined jointly by the artist, City staff, with input from the Visual Arts Commission.

FINAL SELECTION CRITERIA 
The primary criteria for selection:

• Assigned Personnel: Do the person(s) working on the project have the necessary skills to execute the project? Has the artist/artist team completed on time and on budget for a project of similar scope? Are there sufficient people with the requisite skills assigned to the project?
• Scope of Proposal: Does the proposal show an understanding of the project objective, appropriate scale, and desired results
• Materials: Are the materials safe and durable enough for the Colorado climate (including intense sun and winds of up to 120/mph)?
• Aesthetics: Does the artwork meet the aesthetic preferences as stated within the RFQ?
• Availability: Can the work be completed within an acceptable timeframe?

Eligibility Criteria

All sculptors that meet the application requirements may apply.