Call Description

Bear Creek Greenway Trail Public Art Project

Budget: Approximately $45,000 USD per location or $90,000 for both locations
(two locations, with two walls for art at each location)

Eligibility: Artists living in the United States

DEADLINE: Monday, November 17, 2025; 11:59 p.m. MST

Introduction The Boulder Public Art Program seeks to commission one or two artists to create original artworks for two art locations on the Bear Creek Greenway Trail in Boulder, Colorado. This opportunity is for artwork on each entry side of two underpass locations on the trail (four walls total). Preference will be given to mosaic artworks and artists living in Colorado though other art medias and artists outside of Colorado will be considered. The commission amount is approximately $45,000 USD per art location (two walls per location). The panel reserves the right to select two artists with a commission budget of $45,000 each, or one artist for both locations with a commission budget of $90,000 for both locations.

Bear Creek Greenway Trail
The Bear Creek Greenway Trail in Boulder, CO is a popular recreational trail that stretches along Bear Creek, offering a scenic route for walking, running, and biking. This well-maintained trail provides its users a chance to connect with nature, offering opportunities to observe wildlife and enjoy the surroundings of the creek. The trail is also used as a commuting path and is part of the B360 bike route, a 24-mile loop that circumnavigates the city of Boulder.

Materials & Media
The selection panel members have reviewed the two site locations (two walls for art at each location) and the parameters of the public art project and have set a goal that new artworks should be bright, whimsical, and uplifting. Artworks should connect with the daily flow of pedestrian and biker interaction in a way that activates and brings life to the underpass entrances. Additional interpretation of themes such as history and geography of the site locations and the Bear Creek is also encouraged. The panel is open to exploring a variety of media as proposed by applying artists but will give preference to two-dimensional, exterior mosaic artworks in glass and/or ceramic tile. Additional materials can be proposed in conjunction with mosaic tile as artists see fit to extend design further across underpass entrances. It is important that all proposed designs utilize materials that are easy to clean and maintain and are suitable for outdoor display.

Maintenance & Durability
All applicants are expected to consider the issues of long-term conservation and maintenance of public art, along with time and budget. These projects are located in the public realm and may therefore be exposed to physical stresses as well as subject to vandalism. Public art projects should be fabricated of highly durable, low-maintenance materials. Finalists are encouraged to consult with a professional conservator prior to the submission of a final proposal and should ensure conformity with city standards of maintenance and durability, as well as ADA standards. All finalists are expected to stay within budget and to complete work in an approved time frame.

Eligibility
This project is open to artists in the United States regardless of race, color, creed, gender, gender variance, sexual orientation, national origin, age, religion, marital status, political opinion or affiliation, or mental or physical disability. The selection panel will give preference to artists living and working in Colorado or those who have a connection to the region.

Can a team apply?
Applicants may apply as a single artist or multi-person collaborative group.  If applying as a team, please submit one résumé for the team, with one page per team member.

Applying for these opportunities
In response to this RFQ, applicants will be asked to submit four digital images of past completed work, a résumé, and a statement of interest no longer than 2,000 characters via www.callforentry.org (CaFÉ™).

From these applications, the selection panel will choose four finalists who will create site-specific proposals for both locations (total of four walls for art) and be interviewed by the panel. These shortlisted finalist artists will be paid an honorarium of $1,500 for this work. From the interview and proposal, either one artist will be selected for both locations (four walls for art, total commission budget of $90,000) or two artists will be chosen, one for each location (two walls per artist with a commission budget of $45,000 each). The selected artist(s) or artist team(s) will collaborate with City of Boulder staff and the design and construction teams when finalizing their designs for installation.

Budget
The budget for this commission is approximately $45,000.00 USD per location which will be allocated to the artist/team selected. The panel reserves the right to select two artists with a commission budget of $45,000 each, or one artist for both locations with a total commission budget of $90,000. These funds come from the City of Boulder’s 1% for Public Art Policy resulting from construction of nearby transportation projects. This contract amount is inclusive of all costs associated with the project including, but not limited to: the artist’s design fee, other consultation fees such as structural engineering consultation, insurance (including Colorado Workers Compensation), tools, materials, fabrication, transportation, installation, any building or site modification required, travel to and from the site, per diem expenses, project documentation, contingency to cover unexpected expenses, and any other costs.

Timeline
(Except for online application deadline, timeline is subject to adjustments)

Monday, November 17, 2025; 11:59 P.M. MST                Deadline for entry (via CaFÉ™ system
 

January 2026: Finalist Selection

April 2026: Artist Selection and Notification

Project Selection Panel
According to Boulder’s public art policy, the project selection panel plays an active role in the acquisition of public art for Boulder. The Bear Creek Greenway Trail selection panel is comprised of five voting members and additional non-voting advisors. The selection panel is responsible for reviewing the site, establishing criteria, writing a request for qualifications, reviewing applications, selecting and interviewing finalists, and identifying the artist(s) for the commission. 

Selection Process
Four artists/artist teams will be selected as finalists. Those selected will receive more specific information regarding the site and will have the opportunity to meet with site representatives, the design team, selection panel, and public art program staff. The four finalists will be required to create proposals for both locations (four distinct walls, two at each underpass location). The finalists will receive an honorarium to prepare and present the proposal virtually. The selection panel will review the proposals, interview the finalists and recommend the artist(s) for the commission. The selection panel reserves the right to select one artist for both locations (all four underpass walls) OR two artists, one for each of the locations (two underpass walls each). The final recommendation of the selection panel will be presented to the Boulder Arts Commission, and the City Manager for final approval. All decisions of the City of Boulder are final.

Contact
For questions, please contact:
Boulder Office of Arts + Culture, Public Art Program
publicart@bouldercolorado.gov

Application Requirements

Materials to be Submitted

Please read this section carefully. Incomplete applications will NOT be considered. The applicant’s name must appear on all materials submitted.

All materials must be submitted online, via the CaFÉ™ website (www.callforentry.org). There is no application fee to apply or to use the CaFÉ™ online application system.

Digital Images—In order to be considered for this project, the applicant must electronically submit four digital images of previously completed artworks through the CaFÉ™ system.

Instructions on how to format images to CaFÉ™ specifications can be found at https://www.callforentry.org/uploading-images-audio-and-video-files/. Assistance in using the CaFÉ™ system is available here: https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/.

Statement of Interest—Please submit a statement outlining your interest in the Bear Creek Greenway Trail Public Art project and why it is of special interest to you. Please include information about your work with diverse communities and stakeholders (2,000 character maximum) via CaFÉ™. 

Résumé—Submit a one to two-page current résumé via CaFÉ™ that highlights your professional accomplishments as an artist. Please name your résumé file accordingly: Last name.First initial (i.e. Smith.J.pdf).  Résumés that are more than two pages will not be downloaded. If applying as a team, please submit one résumé with one to two pages per team member.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility
This project is open to artists in the United States regardless of race, color, creed, gender, gender variance, sexual orientation, national origin, age, religion, marital status, political opinion or affiliation, or mental or physical disability. The selection panel will give preference to artists living and working in Colorado or those who have a connection to the region.

Can a team apply?
Applicants may apply as a single artist or multi-person collaborative group.  If applying as a team, please submit one résumé for the team, with one page per team member.