Application Closed
Images | Minimum:Min. 6, Maximum:Max. 8
Total Samples | Minimum:Min. 6, Maximum:Max. 8
Eligibility: Local
State: Colorado
Budget: $96,000
Qualifications are requested from artists interested in creating an exterior public artwork for the Center for STEM, Power Mechanics and Applied Technologies at the Community College of Aurora. The budget for this opportunity is $96,000 and the deadline for submission is November 6, 2023.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION - ABOUT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF AURORA AND THE CENTER FOR STEM, POWER MECHANICS, & APPLIED TECHNOLOGIES
The Community College of Aurora (CCA) was founded in 1983 and has vibrant campuses in Aurora and Denver, Colorado. As part of the 13-institution Colorado Community College System, CCA provides pathways for professional and educational development. CCA is a federally designated Hispanic and Minority-Serving Institution, having more than 65% of classes filled with students of color. CCA’s staff and community is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion through Inclusive Excellence. 52% of CCA’s attendees are first generation college students and over 60 languages are spoken at CCA’s two campuses and within its high school-concurrent enrollment partnerships. CCA’s 8 to 1 student to teacher ratio is one of the best in Colorado. Students who are seeking to complete degrees can earn one of CCA’s 55 two-year degrees and transfer their credits to a four-year degree. CCA’s vision is to serve as an institution where every student succeeds.
The Center for STEM, Power Mechanics and Applied Technologies (the Center) is a new building located on the southeast corner of CCA’s CentreTech campus in Aurora, Colorado. The Center will create a dynamic new training and education space for students and industry partners featuring construction, diesel power mechanics, clean energy and applied engineering programming as well as interactive learning-lab space. This new building will allow CCA to upgrade and expand its outdated diesel technology training space, better leverage the expertise and resources of the BuildStrong Academy through co-location and program expansion, and add capacity for high-tech, interactive applied learning space for engineering and other technology fields. The Center will enable CCA to realize education and training synergies between front line, technician training programs – including construction, solar, and diesel mechanics – with engineering, sustainability and information technology programs for students who are on a design, management, research or related academic and career path.
The Center will include spaces for Diesel Power Mechanics for heavy trucking and mobile heavy equipment that includes lab space for machining, hydraulics, engines/transmissions, welding, etc; the Construction Management program and the BuildStrong Academy; STEM classrooms, training spaces and labs for engineering, science, math and computer digital technologies, including an Innovation and Fabrication Lab; a customized Workforce Training room, shared Faculty workspaces, two student lounge areas and a new gathering space, Heritage Hall.
The building, constructed over the course of two phases, will connect to the existing main spine of the campus. The Center’s exterior landscaping will connect the new building to the natural spaces of the existing campus. By locating the variety of departments within one building, the goal is to create opportunities for cross-collaboration between disciplines. Heritage Hall will be an assembly space that will serve both campus events and also as a rentable community space. This area will have large windows to the exterior of the building. Heritage Hall will have a strong external presence and will be geared towards serving the local community and external partners. This area will become the campus’ largest programmable space and will allow for speakers and special events. Heritage Hall will also feature an exhibit to tell CCA’s 40 year history created in partnership with The Aurora History Museum.
BUDGET: $96,000
All costs associated with the public artwork, including, but not limited to, artist design fee, structural engineering, insurance, materials, fabrication, transportation, installation, building or site modifications, including lighting, travel to and from the site, per diem expenses, project documentation, contingency to cover unexpected expenses and any other costs related to the project are covered by the budget.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC ART
The committee is looking for artwork for the exterior of the west side of the Center for STEM, Power Mechanics and Applied Technologies. This artwork will serve to uphold CCA’s service to the community, provide inspiration, and as a visual symbol of the building’s goals of industry, opportunity and innovation. An exterior artwork should create a connection along the pathway to the existing campus and serve as a location for students to gather, study, and relax. This artwork should work within the existing campus landscape and orient students and visitors to the Center. Please refer to the additional provided images and plans here.
The Selection Committee will consider the following:
- Artistic excellence
- Scale, material, form and content
- Appropriate relationship to the function of the site
- Resistance to general wear, vandalism, or theft
- Ease of maintenance, minimal and low-cost maintenance
Local artists who live in Aurora, Colorado or artists who are alumni of the Community College of Aurora are encouraged to apply.
SELECTION PROCESS AND SCHEDULE
The Art Selection Committee will review all complete and eligible submittals. A short list of semifinalists will be invited to prepare and present a final proposal in person and be paid an honorarium of $1,000. Final selection(s) will be made from the semifinalists’ proposals. The schedule is as follows:
- November 6, 2023, 11:59 pm MST – Deadline for receipt of submission via CaFÉ™ system
- November 2023 – Selection committee meets to select semifinalists
- December 2023 or January 2024 – Artist presentations to the Art Selection Committee
- Fall 2024 – Building opens to students
QUESTIONS
If you require more information or clarification, please contact Ruth Wilson at 303-880-6671 or ruth.wilson@state.co.us.
ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION
https://fundraise.givesmart.com/e/ELmi2Q?vid=10qopj
The full RFQ, including images, site plans, and renderings can be viewed here.
Application Requirements
All applications for this project are being accepted through the online platform, CaFÉ™ (www.callforentry.org ). No hard copy or emailed submissions will be accepted. The applicant will be asked to submit digital images of art, a resume, and a brief statement of interest. There is no application fee to apply or to use the CaFÉ™ online application system. Assistance in using the CaFÉ™ system is available during regular business hours by calling 303-629-1166, 1-888-562-7232 or email cafe@westaf.org.
Digital Images: In order to be considered for this project, the applicant must electronically submit, via the CaFÉ™ system, no less than six (6) and no more than eight (8) digital images of previously completed artworks.
Resume: Submit a current résumé, via CaFÉ™, that outlines professional accomplishments as an artist.
Statement of Interest: A statement of interest of 250 words or less must be submitted via CaFÉ™. It should briefly outline the interest in the specific opportunity. Artists should also use this statement to highlight if they are a local artist or a CCA alum.
Eligibility Criteria
All applicants must be residents of Colorado. Exceptions will be made for artists living outside of Colorado if they are alumni of the Community College of Aurora or artists who are affiliated with a tribe with ties to the land that is currently Colorado. If you live outside of Colorado and fall under one of these exceptions, please contact Ruth Wilson (ruth.wilson@state.co.us) prior to applying to ensure awareness of your application. The Program is open to all artists regardless of race, color, creed, gender, gender variance, national origin, age, religion, marital status, political opinion or affiliation, or mental or physical handicap.