Art on the Streets celebrates the power of art in public places, while turning the streets of Downtown Colorado Springs into a yearlong outdoor sculpture gallery. More than 200 artworks have been exhibited downtown since AOTS began in 1999, and the district is home to more than 50 permanent works, many of which have been purchased through AOTS.

Selected artists each receive a $1,250 honorarium. All selected artists are also eligible for the following awards:

o    $10,000 Juror Award

o    $1,000 Honorable Mention

o    $1,000 People’s Choice Award

This year represents the 19th year of this program, and up to 12 artists will be chosen to exhibit. In addition to the honorarium, each artist is offered two nights of complimentary lodging in Colorado Springs, one of which will be used during installation, and one of which will be used to attend the exhibition's Launch Party event.

Pieces accepted for the Art on the Streets’ 19th annual exhibit will also be considered for a second year of display in the Pikes Peak Region, thanks to a partnership with the Manitou Springs Arts Council. Manitou Springs is an historic mountain community of 5,250 located 6 miles west of Downtown Colorado Springs, receiving 450,000 visitors per year. Based on artistic merit and suitability for available sites, the Arts Council will offer select AOTS artists an additional one-year lease agreement to display their work in downtown Manitou Springs. Compensation includes a $500 stipend and two nights of lodging (for use in conjunction with installation/deinstallation of work). Selection for this opportunity is at the sole discretion of the Manitou Springs Arts Council. Artists will be notified of acceptance by February 28, 2018.

TIMELINE

·         February 16, 2017 Submission deadline

·         March 14, 2017 Selection notification to Artists

·         May 29-June 9, 2017 Installation of Works

·         June 15, 2017 Exhibit Opening / Launch Party and Presentation of Juror Award

·         May 2018 Exhibit Closing / Work reclaimed by artists

SELECTION PROCESS

Selected artists are chosen through a jury process in which artistic quality serves as the primary criterion. Secondary criteria include installation, maintenance and safety concerns, as well diversity of works included in the annual exhibit. All works will be evaluated for stability by a structural engineer contracted by Downtown Ventures. While sculpture tends to dominate the entry pool, other types of public art suitable for an outdoor experience are encouraged, including interactive and multimedia works.

SITE CONSIDERATIONS

Downtown Colorado Springs is an urban environment, and works should be suitable for placement in a setting that is accessible to the public 24/7. Artists should also consider Colorado weather, which can include extreme sun, strong winds, freezing/moisture, and fluctuations between hot and cold.

Art on the Streets also has the ability to work with artists on larger and/or site-specific installations. We welcome proposals that move beyond a single sculpture that might include (but are not limited to) interactive, temporary or multimedia work. Proposals of this type do need to consider how the piece will be publicly accessible and/or documented to be accessible for the duration of the one-year Art on the Street exhibit.

Selected artwork for the Art on the Streets exhibit will be exhibited throughout the 40-square block downtown district, with the majority of works clustered in the busiest 10- to 15- block core. In addition, two special sites (see below) offer the opportunity to display works that fit a more specific set of thematic criteria. Please note the following criteria DO NOT need to be met in order for work to be considered for Art on the Streets as a whole. If works are being submitted for one of the following two sites, please indicate in comments about submitted proposal within artist statement.

Transit Gallery: Art on the Streets at the Downtown Transit Center

Two of the pieces in the 19th annual exhibit will be selected through a partnership with Mountain Metropolitan Transit to be installed at the at the Downtown Transit Center. There are two existing concrete pedestals available at the Transit Center, located at the corner of N. Nevada Avenue and Kiowa Street. Pedestal #1 can accommodate a piece that is up to 3' deep, 4' wide, and 5' high. Pedestal #2 can accommodate a piece that is up to 32" deep , 52" wide, and 5' high. Additional floor space and wall space are available inside the Transit Center lobby (10-foot ceiling clearance). When considering pieces for installation at the Transit Gallery, jurors will give special consideration to works that include an interactive component.

Olympic City USA: Art on the Streets at the Colorado Springs City Administration Building

One of the pieces in the 19th annual exhibit will be selected through a partnership with the city of Colorado Springs. Colorado Springs, Olympic City USA, is home to the flagship U.S. Olympic Training Center, headquarters of the U.S. Olympic Committee, and future site of the U.S. Olympic Museum and Hall of Fame. Colorado Springs celebrates its identity as Olympic City USA through a variety of initiatives, including Art on the Streets. When considering a piece for installation at the City Administration Building (click for street view), jurors will give special consideration to works that embody the Olympic and Paralympic Ideals (excellence, friendship, respect, courage, determination, inspiration and equality) and works that use the Olympic colors. Please note: Overt references to the Olympic logo cannot be accepted. One work will be selected to represent Olympic City USA in the 19th Annual Art on the Streets exhibition.

Again, the above criteria DO NOT need to be met in order for work to be considered for Art on the Streets as a whole. If works are being submitted for one of the above two sites, please indicate in comments about submitted proposal within artist statement.

JURY/SELECTION PANEL

The lead juror for the 2017-2018 exhibit is Joy Armstrong, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. During her tenure at the FAC, she has had the pleasure of collaborating on over 50 exhibitions featuring local/regional and national/international artists from the permanent collection as well as major temporary exhibitions. She was nominated for the Pikes Peak Arts Council “Excellence in Curatorship” award for her work on Katja Loher’s Miniverse, and won “Excellence in Curatorship” and “Creative, Intriguing, Astonishing” PPAC awards for Pamela Joseph’s Sideshow of the Absurd. Recently, she curated El Mac: Aerosol Exalted from which the award-winning JAM FAC was born, as well as 2016’s All New Women, featuring Cindy Sherman and John Singer Sargent. Her current project, now on view, is All I Ever Wanted: James Surls and Charmaine Locke. Armstrong has coordinated many special events for the FAC, and has served on multiple juries and as guest curator for other regional institutions such as the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities. Armstrong holds a Master of Arts degree in Art History from Kent State University, where she specialized in contemporary art and body art, and has a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and Communications from the University of Denver. Previously, she has worked as the Assistant Director of Galleries for the Kent State University School of Art, the Director of the Eells Gallery in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and as the Senior Exhibition Technician for the Akron Art Museum. Locally, she has been deeply involved with some of the region’s most dynamic non-profit institutions, including GOCA, Harley’s Hope Foundation, and Imagination Celebration.

Juror Tim Vacca is an established arts administration professional who has been working in the Denver area arts industry since 2003. He has curated exhibitions primarily at Denver International Airport and Museum of Outdoor Arts (MOA), where he currently resides as Director of Programs. Tim has worked with MOA for a cumulative 12 years and oversees education, exhibitions and communications programs. Tim received his BA in Studio Arts from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2005 where he practiced photography and digital art. He also received a certificate in technology, arts and media from CU the same year. Tim recently completed his Master's degree in Arts Development and Program Management at the University of Denver. Tim is a native to Colorado and enjoys being a Denver city dweller. He is an art, architecture and design enthusiast and enjoys travel, local restaurants, craft beer/wine/spirits, public art, museums, galleries and creative events.

ABOUT US

Art on the Streets (AOTS) is managed as a program of Downtown Colorado Springs, through Downtown Ventures, Inc. The program is presented by founding sponsor U.S. Bank, with additional support from generous corporate and individual donors.

Designated as a Certified Creative District through the State of Colorado's creative district program, Downtown Colorado Springs recognizes the power of public art in placemaking. Downtown is the heart of Colorado Springs' cultural community, and the arts play a central role in economic development, tourism, and quality of life.

Art on the Streets is a celebrated Downtown tradition, currently in its 19th year, that seeks to enliven the urban experience for the 17,000 individuals who work there, as well as for residents and tourists. Annual exhibits are heavily promoted by Downtown Colorado Springs, including regional and national press outreach, a GPS-based smartphone tour of the exhibit, and a full-color exhibit brochure distributed throughout Downtown. It is also available online at www.downtowncs.com/aots.

AOTS has influenced purchase and permanent installation of many of the works of public art in downtown Colorado Springs. More than 200 artworks have been exhibited throughout downtown Colorado Springs since AOTS began in 1999, and Downtown Colorado Springs is home to more than 50 permanent works, many of which have been purchased through AOTS.

ENTRY DETAILS

·         Artists may submit one (1) work per application. Up to three images may be included to represent the work. For sculpture, artists should consider a suggested minimum dimension of 3 feet, vertical or horizontal, and scaled to outdoor spaces. Artists should consider that their work will be exhibited outdoors and accessible to the public for a period of approximately 11 months.

·         Artists may submit multiple proposals, through multiple applications, with a discounted application fee of $10 for every application after the first $25 fee. To submit multiple works, please use the following process: 1. Submit your first application and pay the $25 application fee. 2. Contact staff to receive a coupon code for subsequent applications, to activate the discounted application fee.

Entry Submissions:

All materials should be submitted in digital format through CaFE™ at www.callforentry.org.

All submissions must include:

·         Full contact information: Name, address, phone and email.

·         Narrative description of the artwork including title, medium/media, dimensions (in feet, h x w x d), weight, price of artwork and any applicable notes.

·         A current, professional resume

·         Two-paragraph maximum artist’s statement incorporating comment about submitted proposal.

·         Installation plan (see details below)

·         Non-refundable entry fee of $25, payable by VISA or MASTERCARD at time application is submitted, plus any discounted fees for multiple applications.

Questions? Please contact Urban Engagement Manager Claire Swinford by calling 719-886-0088, or via email: claire@downtowncs.com Entries must be received by 5:00 p.m., MST, on February 16, 2017.

INSTALLATION:

·         What you will provide: Each selected artist bears responsibility for the installation of his/her work. Artists must deliver (or ship) their work and assist in its installation. All selected artists must provide a detailed plan for the installation of their artwork, to include any engineering specifications, all required equipment and supplies, unique considerations for non-metal media, and other significant factors affecting exhibition for an extended period of time. Receipt of a W9 Taxpayer Identification Form is required prior to payment of honorarium.

·         What we will provide: Reasonable installation expenses are covered by Art on the Streets, including additional labor and equipment needs in some cases, as long as these needs have been specified in the installation plan. A $1,250 honorarium will be awarded to each selected artist, so please calibrate installation costs accordingly. Cost of materials, labor and supplies over and above those stated in the installation plan will be deducted from honorarium. AOTS shall make emergency repairs when necessary.

·         Liability: AOTS, its sponsors and the City of Colorado Springs shall not be liable for any loss incurred due to a faulty connection between the artwork and the surface it is attached to. Please call 719-886-0088 with any questions BEFORE submitting your entry and installation plan.

·         Timing: Installation will occur from May 29 to June 9, in the weeks prior to the exhibit's Launch Party in June 2017. Should the artist request a change in the installation plan, AOTS reserves the right to deduct additional/unexpected expenses (for example, a change in delivery/installation schedule of the artwork that results in additional equipment rental costs).

·         Questions: If you have any questions regarding AOTS's installation process and support, please call staff prior to applying. 719-886-0088

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria