The City of Lafayette and Medtronic are pleased to release a Request for Qualifications for Artists related to a new Gateway Public Art piece in Lafayette, Colorado. A global leader in medical technology, Medtronic is constructing a new 42-acre campus in Lafayette, Colorado. One percent (1%) of the site will be dedicated to public art at the southwest portion of the site. As the southern gateway into the community, Lafayette is partnering with Medtronic to procure a welcoming, inspiring, and unique gateway art piece for residents and visitors.

The budget for this commission is approximately $300,000 which will be allocated to the project and artist. These funds come from Medtronic and the City of Lafayette equally. 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, fabrication costs, site infrastructure, foundations, electrical, installation costs, any site modifications required, transportation, contingencies for unexpected costs, and any other costs.

The Advisory Committee has set forth specific goals and parameters for this public art project with the hope of creating a welcoming, inspiring, and unique gateway piece for residents and visitors at Lafayette’s southern gateway. The Advisory Committee seeks to:

• Speak to the inclusive and diverse community in Lafayette
• Have the gateway piece act as a landmark and provide a sense of place
• Convey the shared values of Medtronic and the City of Lafayette – diversity, innovation, sustainability, and connection to the community

Selected artists from the RFQ will be asked to consider:

• A daytime and nighttime presence
• Subject matter that does not provide any safety distractions from traffic on Highway 287, such as materials with glare
• A gateway piece that is proportional to scale and volume of the space
• A gateway piece with low maintenance
• A gateway piece that can work with all seasons and is designed to withstand time

All submissions will be evaluated by the Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee reserves the right to consult with other representatives from the City of Lafayette and Medtronic outside the evaluation team. The Advisory Committee will evaluate each submission during all phases of review according to the selection criteria outlined below:

• Artistic excellence and originality as evidenced by digital representation of past work.
• Appropriateness of artist's medium, style, and experience as they relate to the location and project goals as well as artwork that is appropriate for public viewing and/or adequate professional experience to meet the requirements of a project.
• Artist's ability to respond creatively and uniquely to site-specific design challenges, including the physical, environmental, and community-related conditions inherent to each project.
• Demonstrated ability to work productively and collaboratively with design collaborators and public agencies, including ability to meet the overall design and other project requirements.
• Boulder County artists will be awarded preference points during the first stage of review. (For this project, the Advisory Committee considers a Boulder County artist an individual who lives, is permanently employed, or rents/owns a studio in Boulder County. For artist teams, all members of the team must be Boulder County artists to qualify for preference points.)

Application Requirements

The Advisory Committee has established the following set of requirements for this RFQ. All Respondents must submit the following:

A.    Statement of Interest
A brief statement (3,000 character maximum) outlining the following: your artwork (themes, process, materials, etc.) and summarize your experience and/or interest in public art and any other relevant professional experience as an artist.

B.    Resume
A current résumé that highlights your professional accomplishments as an artist. Limit your résumé to no longer than three pages. If applying as a team, please submit one résumé with no more than one page per team member.

C.    Past Project Examples
Up to 10 examples of past Public Art projects. Recent artwork completed during the last five years is preferred. However, for artists who have completed large-scale public artwork, artwork made within the last 10 years may be submitted. Please do not submit images of work by other artists for which you played only a supportive role.

Emerging artists and those with no prior public art experience are encouraged to partner and consult with experienced professionals such as architects, fabricators, and designers. Emerging artists are encouraged to submit any past project examples that highlight their medium, style, and experience.

Eligibility Criteria

This project is open to all artists residing in the United States. The City of Lafayette and Medtronic are committed to public art that represents a broad diversity of artists based on race, color, creed, gender, gender variance, sexual orientation, national origin, age, religion, marital status, political opinion or affiliation, or mental or physical ability. Emerging artists and those with no prior public art experience are encouraged to partner and consult with experienced professionals such as architects, fabricators, and designers. Artists from under resourced or marginalized communities based on race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, and or disability are encouraged to apply.