Call Description

Background

The Animal Services Division and the Aurora Animal Shelter provide lifesaving programs and services for the city. The division investigates, quarantines, reports information regarding cases involving diseases transmitted from animals to people, and collaborates with state and local health departments to ensure public health and safety are met in the City's coverage area of over 154 square miles. This Includes impounding animals, investigating animal cruelty and neglect, educating the public on responsible pet ownership, all while enforcing the city ordinances and providing 24-hour on-call responses. Providing humane care and treatment seven days per week for abandoned, stray, and homeless animals, provide veterinary care, return animals to their homes, and promote adoption. The shelter has expanded veterinary services to animals whose owners may be experiencing homelessness or are categorized as at risk.

The Aurora Animal Shelter is being designed and constructed to replace the existing animal shelter in Aurora, Colorado. The new shelter will provide modern designed, healthy housing for the animals in care. It will offer a welcoming place for members of the public to view and meet with adoptable animals, and a safe, clean environment for staff and volunteers. With a focus on Fear Free design, the new shelter will support the best practices in animal sheltering so the animals housed there may be cared for properly, humanely, safely and efficiently.

The City of Aurora, CO is seeking exterior artwork(s) that will establish the new Animal Shelter as a welcoming and recognizable community landmark. This project may include murals, sculptures, or a combination of both, and should be designed to enhance the building’s visibility and presence within the neighborhood. The artwork will serve as a point of pride for the community, reflecting the shelter’s role as a place of compassion, hope, and connection.

Possible Locations:

• Entry Plaza
• Adoptable Cats Wing
• Adoptable Dogs Wing
• Southeast Corner of Visitor Parking Lot for sculptural element
• North of Visitor Parking Lot for sculptural element
• West of Main Entrance for sculptural element

In addition to its landmark function, the exterior artwork(s) have the potential to serve as a backdrop for adoption-day photos and “selfie spots,” creating joyful, memorable experiences for families and their new pets. This commission is part of a broader vision for public art at the shelter, alongside opportunities for an aerial sculpture and interior mural(s), with the potential for artists to contribute to a unified artistic presence across the facility.

Related Projects

This is one of three RFQs for the Animal Shelter (Interior Aerial Sculpture, Interior Mural(s), and Exterior Project). Artists may apply to one or more opportunities. The City is interested in exploring proposals that may contribute to a holistic artistic vision across the facility.

About Aurora

Aurora is the third largest city in Colorado, spanning three counties in the eastern Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area. Aurora embraces a highly diverse population of approximately 400,000 residents who enjoy access to quality education, Colorado's natural beauty and active lifestyle, and an array of cultural amenities within the context of a vibrant and growing community. Aurora is home to top national employers in aerospace and defense, bioscience, healthcare, and alternative energy.

Situated on prairie grasslands, rolling hills and the northern tip of the Black Forest, Aurora offers a unique quality of life that blends a traditional sense of community with a range of outdoor and leisure activities. Residents enjoy a wealth of opportunities and are proud to call Aurora home.

Application Requirements

Application Materials

• 8-10 images/videos of relevant work. Do not submit conceptual proposals. They will not be reviewed.
• Professional resume not to exceed two pages
• Statement of Interest: (Why this project is of interest to you?)
• Brief bio
• Open ONLY to artists who reside in United States and its territories

Questions

Questions should be directed to publicart@auroragov.org.

Eligibility Criteria

Materials

Materials must be durable and appropriate for exterior applications within the Front Range climate of Colorado. Annually, temperatures range from sub-zero to over 100 degrees, and temperatures can span more than 40 degrees within a day, or even a few hours. Snow, hail, wind, and extreme sun are all environmental issues to contend with when proposing exterior art projects at this elevation and climate.

Selection Process

Aurora’s Art in Public Places Program manages the selection process. All applications must be submitted through the CaFÉ system. No hard copies will be accepted, and no applications should be submitted directly to public art staff. This call is open to artists residing in the US. 

Phase One: The Selection Panel will identify the most qualified applicants based on the selection criteria listed below. From this pool of submissions, three finalists will be selected.

Phase Two: Three finalists will each receive a $1,500 honorarium to participate in an optional site visit, develop a formal proposal, and participate in a virtual interview. Finalists will receive a list of key stakeholders that can be contacted during the design research process. During the formal interviews (virtual), finalists will make their presentations and engage in a Q & A period.

Phase Three: The Selection Panel will recommend the selected applicant to the Art in Public Places Commission for approval. Then the project will move through a multi-level approval process, culminating with City Council.

Selection Criteria

The ideal artist is:

• Comfortable working in the public sphere.
• Enjoys working with people.
• Has demonstrated experience creating three-dimensional permanent works of art.
• Has demonstrated experience working on projects with budgets of $80,000 or greater.
• Living and working in the United States and its territories.

Tentative Timeline

• Deadline for completed applications to be received: November 3, 2025, 11:59 pm Mountain Time.
• Finalists notified: week of November 24, 2025
• Finalists’ virtual presentations: January 27, 2026
• Multi-level approval process completed: February 2026