Public Art Commission Background and Overall Goals

Golden’s public art collection began in the 1990’s with many generous donations of traditional bronze sculpture to the City. At the time, there was no group overseeing that donation process, and there were no over-arching goals or criteria to guide the program. These initial sculptures tended to reflect the early history of Golden’s foundations and heritage. Since the establishment of the PAC in 2013, the collection has grown and become more diverse. Furthermore, it has been integrated throughout the larger Golden community. It is beginning to tell a new, more contemporary story about Golden, its community and its bright future. As the City continues to grow and develop, the Program will continue to evolve along with it, communicating its collective history and shared vision for the future.

The PAC commissioned an Audit and Analysis of the collection in 2021 with a focus on summarizing the collection’s strengths and weaknesses, themes, and gaps. The report provided with PAC with some key observations: 
• Golden is a community that values public art and sites artwork in prominent locations for residents and visitors to the community, mostly in the downtown area. 
• Much of the collection is represented by traditional bronze, figural artwork depicting historic or allegorical figures and western animals. 
• The community and visitors truly enjoy the collection and engage with it regularly. 
• The collection is not very diverse, whether in location, siting, or materials, nor artist genders, genders depicted or styles. However, this is improving with the addition of murals and more contemporary pieces.

In late 2022, the City of Golden approved a Public Art Framework Plan that included an overall goal to create a collection of permanent and temporary artwork that:
• Features work of the highest level of artistic excellence.
• Features work by a broad and diverse group of artists, working in a variety of methods and media.
• Explores and reflects a diversity of themes, subjects and traditions; and 
• Enriches public spaces in all parts of our City and is accessible and available to everyone.

Based upon the audit and Framework Plan, the PAC has identified a few general themes that can be enhanced with additions to the City’s public art collection. Some of these themes include the recognition of:

• Contributions of local indigenous peoples.
• Contributions of Golden’s pioneer women.
• Geographic and geologic setting.
• Benefits of playfulness and whimsey.
• Nature and Golden’s natural setting.

Context and Details Regarding the Project
The City of Golden’s Parks and Recreation Division has worked closely with Jefferson County Open Space in support of the Peaks to Plains Trail that runs through several municipalities in Jefferson County and into Denver. In 2023, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board received $20,000 in capital improvement funds to design and construct artistic signage along the Peaks to Plains gateway, identifying the entrance to the City.

The current project is envisioned as an artistic installation along the Clear Creek trail to fulfill several purposes:

• Welcome pedestrians, cyclists, and other trail users to the City of Golden.
• Create a sense of arrival for eastbound traffic and denote that westbound trail users are exiting the community.
• Celebrate the Clear Creek Corridor and its many uses and users.
• Serve as the first of potential additional Clear Creek artistic installations with the same goals as listed above.
• Please see the attached maps for the specific location.

The artwork should be a welcoming enhancement to the visual appearance of the trail corridor, appeal to a broad range of people, and be uplifting and stimulating to the spirit, intellect, and physical senses. Artistic creativity and interpretation that speaks to Golden’s heritage and natural setting are encouraged. The art should harmonize and compliment the surrounding area. Materials should be durable and reflect the anticipated level of interaction between the public and the installation. Specific installation requirements include:

• There is no electric power or irrigation to this natural site. Utility access should not be anticipated.
• For safety and maintenance purposes, the installation should maintain a distance of 2’ from the edge of the concrete trail as well as the adjacent soft surface trail.
• For access and maintenance purposes, please avoid proposing an installation that spans over the trail.
• The installation should address both eastbound and westbound trail usage.
• The installation should not disturb or impact adjacent trees.

Application Requirements

Application Requirements

• Submit at least three images or drawings of the proposed artwork with all pertinent information including artist name, medium, and artwork title. 
• Include at least three images of past work.
• Include a letter of interest in your application. If a team is submitting, one collective letter of interest is sufficient. 
• Submit a current artist resume, placing emphasis on public art projects or other related art experiences, with a budget amount for all projects. If part of a project team, submit one resume and indicate each team member’s role with a specific project. 
• Include a timeline for art development and installation.
• Create an estimated budget for the project fabrication, installation and artist’s fee.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

This call for entry is open to all artists and artist teams 18 years and older. Experience creating public art is preferred. The selection panel will not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of age, sex, race, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, or physical challenges. Excluded from participation are Selection Jury members and their families. 

Artwork will be selected on the basis of creativity, artistic merit, technical proficiency, and relationship to the aforementioned theme and site. Long-term maintenance, durability, and public safety, concerns will be major selection criteria.

The Selection Jury will include members of the Golden Parks Department, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, and the Public Art Commission.