Call Detail
Sculptural/Functional Elements RFQ, Green Valley Ranch East, Aurora, CO
Visit Organization Website
Contact Email: rbloom@auroragov.org

Entry Deadline: 9/22/20
Application Closed
Work Sample Requirements
Images | Minimum:Min. 6, Maximum:Max. 8
Video | Minimum:Min. 0, Maximum:Max. 1
Total Samples | Minimum:Min. 6, Maximum:Max. 9
Call Type: Public Art
Eligibility: National
State: Colorado
Event Dates: 0/0/00 - 0/0/00

SCULPTURAL/FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS RFQ, GREEN VALLEY RANCH EAST, AURORA, CO

Green Valley Ranch Aurora is envisioned as a comprehensive planned community integrated with places to live, learn, and play. It includes an interconnected series of neighborhoods served by nearby Neighborhood Activity Centers, schools, parks, open space, and trails. Additional city amenities will include approximately 18.3 acres of neighborhood parks, and 49.8 acres of open space, greenbelts, and trails. The site also identifies the potential for one Preschool - 8th grade school and one fire station site on a 5.8-acre site owned by the City of Aurora.

 

The development is centered around the grand park corridor which moves through most of the area. A series of open spaces and trails allow residents access to the entire development without the use of automobiles. Along this corridor there are neighborhood parks, schools, open space, clubhouses, pocket parks, and a variety of amenities. Its character complements the natural landscape and enhances key areas to attract additional wildlife to the site. The Green Valley Ranch East community is designed to be complementary to the high plains and mountains of Colorado. The landscape in common areas throughout the community emphasizes drought-tolerant and native plant species.

 

True to Colorado, Green Valley Ranch East is located over a mile above sea level with an average elevation of 5,450. The typical landscape consists of rolling hills within the Colorado eastern high plains. The elevation of the northern portion of the development offers sweeping mountain views, while the southern portion of the development is located near multiple tributaries of the First Creek corridor. Natural grasslands with wildflowers (goldenrod, native sunflowers, black-eyed Susan, purple aster, and white prickly poppies) border the eastern edge of the development. Typical wild animal sightings include red tail hawk, bald eagle, golden eagle, red-wing blackbird, avocet, prong horn antelope, mule deer, coyote, and red fox.

A place of interest is the Windler Homestead located, east of Green Valley Ranch. This historical site is a six-generation owned farm site recognized as a Colorado Centennial Farm.

 

The architecture is not defined by neighborhood, but rather by a mix of product types with a Contemporary Craftsman characteristic. The residential areas throughout the development consist of five varying types: single family detached, single family attached (duplex), alley loaded single family, Carriage House, and Bungalow.  When mixed, these varying styles create diverse neighborhoods in both style and affordability. All home collections are finished with stone, stucco, masonry and Board and Batten siding. Architectural accents are focused around window shutters, wrap around porches, columns, porch railings, exterior lighting, and decorative roof brackets.

 

With its prime location, 20 minutes east of downtown Denver, close proximity to the airport, multiple shopping districts, and the new Gaylord Hotel, the Green Valley Ranch Aurora master planned community is one of the most popular and fastest-growing housing areas in the region. This community welcomes first time homeowners, established families who want more open space, parks, and schools all in walking distance, or retired couples wanting to relocate outside of the city, but still wanting all the amenities a city has to offer. Green Valley Ranch is their new home because ‘It’s All Here’.

 

PUBLIC ART OPPORTUNITY

The Art Selection Panel has identified two possible sites for sculptural seating arrangements within the setting of the neighborhood park.  One is located within a north eastern section of the park, and the other is a southern location closer to the future site of a K-8 school.  These locations are removed from the more active basketball courts and playground areas and are intended to cultivate opportunities for more contemplative and relaxing engagement with the natural environment. The art selection panel is seeking aesthetic and creative solutions beyond simple benches and boulders.  The experience of the artwork should change as a person moves around it and could include shade components, as the Colorado sun is powerful at this altitude.

The artwork should include vertical as well as horizontal components to enhance its visual impact from a distance. The artwork should be visually engaging from afar, drawing people towards it.  And, when people arrive at the site, the artwork should be sufficiently detailed to continue keep visitors engaged.

Thematically, the artwork might address the surrounding natural environment, Colorado wildlife, changing seasons, the power of the natural elements, the concept of flight due to its proximity to Denver International Airport, or of the history of the area.

The artwork should be colorful and could employ a sense of whimsy or joy.

The artwork must be constructed from materials that are sufficiently durable to withstand the Colorado climate and altitude.  These conditions include extreme temperature changes (over 40 degrees in just a few hours,) subzero temperatures as well as temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, high winds, intense sun/ultra violet exposure at this altitude, low humidity, and precipitation in the form of rain, hail, sleet, and snow. 

 Working within the budget, the artist might choose to work on either or both sites.

AURORA, CO

Aurora is Colorado’s third largest city, and the safest large city in Colorado, spanning three counties in the eastern Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area. Aurora embraces a highly diverse population of over 365,000 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.

Budget: $138,400 including design, fabrication, transportation, installation and any other costs associated with this project.

SELECTION PROCESS AND MATERIALS

 

All applications will be handled through WESTAF’s CaFE submissions platform.  This is free and open to everyone.  Applicants must be US residents.

 

      Tentative Timeline

Tuesday, September 22: Deadline for completed applications to be received

{C}·         Early October: Finalists notified

{C}·         Finalists Virtual Presentations: Mid-November, artist notification within two weeks.

{C}·         Multi-level approval process completed: Late January/early February 2021

{C}·         It is desirable that the artwork be completed and installed by late summer/early fall 2021 consistent with the construction of the surrounding park.

     Application Materials

{C}·         6-8 images of relevant work

{C}·         Professional Resume

{C}·         Statement of Interest (Why this project is of interest to you)

{C}·         Open ONLY to Artists who are legal residents of the USA.

 

Questions

Questions should be directed to Roberta Bloom, Public Art Coordinator, City of Aurora, CO at rbloom@auroragov.org.

 

 

 

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria