Call Description

Background

The City of Aurora is developing Skywatch Park, a new neighborhood park located at E. Smoky Hill Road and S. Ider Street in southeast Aurora. The project is being shaped through community input and has the potential for a unique, community-centered design that will provide new outdoor recreational opportunities for nearby residents.

Potential park features may include:

• Playgrounds for all ages and abilities
• Open play areas
• Courts for various sports
• Outdoor fitness equipment
• Picnic areas with shade structures, seating, and grills
• Walking paths

Skywatch Park is designed to provide open space, gathering areas, and opportunities for quiet reflection and recreation. Its elevated location offers expansive views of the sky and distant mountain ranges, making it a unique destination within the Aurora park system.

A prominent feature of the park is the FAA dome, a navigational radar facility, which serves as a visual landmark and subtle inspiration for the park’s name. While the dome itself is not to be altered, artists may consider how their work relates conceptually or visually to its presence and the broader idea of observation, navigation, and connection to the sky.

Artists are encouraged to explore concepts that thoughtfully engage with themes such as sky, light, reflection, presence, nature, peace, and the identity of Aurora. These may be literal or abstract in interpretation but should create a sense of connection between visitors and the environment, encouraging moments of pause, awareness, and appreciation of the natural surroundings.

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, renderings or AI Images. 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

By submitting an application, artists will be added to the City of Aurora Public Art email list to receive notifications about future opportunities. Artists may opt out of these communications at any time.

Eligibility Criteria

Selection Process

Aurora’s Public Art Staff manages the selection process. All applications must be submitted through the CaFE System of Creative West. This application process is free. No hard copies will be accepted, and no applications should be submitted directly to public art staff. This is a regional call for artists residing in the following states: Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Kansas, and Nebraska.

• 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 $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 Arts & Culture 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 working on projects with budgets of $25,000 or greater.
• Living and working in the United States and its Territories.

Tentative Timeline

• Deadline for completed applications to be received: May 6, 2026 11:59 pm Mountain Time.
• Finalists notified: approx. week of May 25, 2026
• Finalists’ virtual presentations: approx. week of June 29, 2026
• Multi-level approval process completed: approx. July 2026

It is estimated that the work be completed and installed by approx. Q3/Q4 2027