INTRODUCTION
Denver International Airport (DEN) is known for its remarkable public art collection, cultural exhibits, public events and iconic architecture such as the canopy of the Jeppesen Terminal.  DEN seeks to commission distinctive, site specific, original public artworks for our $1.5B Concourse Expansion Program. Three (3) unique artwork locations have been identified for this Request for Qualification (RFQ) within the newly designed expansion areas; Concourse A-West, Concourse B-West, and Concourse C-East. A separate RFQ will be released for the selection of the Concourse B-East project site as part of the Concourse Expansion Program.  A selection panel of community representatives, arts and culture professionals, and civic leaders has been assembled to recommend artists or artist teams with a budget range of $800,000 to $2,500,000 USD for each location that reflect the individual personality of each concourse and create a memorable experience that passengers have come to expect from our world class public art collection and airport.  Please note, each site will be awarded to a different artist or artist team.

This Request for Qualification (RFQ) will determine artist(s) eligibility to propose artwork for the project sites and allows each artist or artist team to rank their preferred location site. The selection panel will jury all artist applications and if selected, assign each artist or team to one of the project sites to develop a public art proposal. Artist site location preference will be considered but the selection panel has the final decision. Artists will only be able to propose for one of the three project sites.

DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OVERVIEW
Since opening in 1995, Denver International Airport (DEN) has grown to become the 16th busiest airport in the world and the fifth busiest airport in the United States in 2019. With more than 69 million passengers traveling through the airport in 2019, DEN is one of the busiest airline hubs in the world’s largest aviation market with over 30,000 employees on campus. DEN is the primary economic engine for the State of Colorado, generating more than $33.5 billion for the region annually, and supporting nearly 260,000 indirect jobs.

While the COVID-19 pandemic caused DEN’s traffic to fall in April 2020 to just 4% of its April 2019 traffic volume, DEN quickly made major adjustments to its operations and maintenance budget, renegotiated its major contracts and provided relief to all its airline and concessions partners. DEN ended the year at 49% of 2019 traffic, with strong debt service coverage, significant cash on hand, and poised for a 2021 rebound in traffic. With its strong domestic market, DEN has exceeded the average recoveries of U.S. airports by about 15%. DEN ended 2020 as the 3rd busiest commercial airport in the U.S., and 7th busiest in the world, demonstrating the relative strength of its market.

DEN is one of the few major U.S. airports with room to expand its current facilities to accommodate significant future growth. Encompassing 53 square miles (34,000 acres, or 137.8 square kilometers) of land, DEN is twice the size of Manhattan Island, and is larger than the city boundaries of Boston, Miami or San Francisco. The four busiest airports in the U.S. – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, Chicago O’Hare, Los Angeles International, and Dallas Fort Worth – could collectively fit into DEN’s property, with land left over.

For images of facilities, visit: https://images.flydenver.com/Airport-Facilities

ABOUT THE CITY & COUNTY OF DENVER
Denver’s Public Art Program was established in 1988 as an Executive Order under then Denver Mayor Federico Peña. The order, enacted into Ordinance by Denver City Council in 1991, directs that 1% of any capital improvement project over $1 million undertaken by the City be set aside for the inclusion of art in the design and construction of these projects. Over the past 30 years, the City of Denver has invested more than $40 million in public art for over 300 works.  

SELECTION PANEL
According to Denver's Public Art policy, the project selection panel plays an active role in acquiring public art for Denver. Denver International Airport’s selection panel is comprised of 11 voting members and additional non-voting advisors. The selection panel is responsible for reviewing the site, establishing criteria for a request for qualifications, reviewing applications, selecting, and interviewing finalists, and finally selecting an artist or artist team for the commission.

DEN PUBLIC ART PROGRAM
The permanent art collection at DEN today consists of 33 public artworks by local, national, and international artists that can be found along Peña Blvd., the Jeppesen Terminal, all three concourses, the Westin Hotel, DEN Plaza, and the RTD A-Line platform.  When the airport opened in 1995, DEN’s art collection was heralded as one of the most innovative airport art collections in the world.

In 2020, the airport adopted the DEN Public Art and Exhibits Master Plan, designating impactful, thoughtful locations within the DEN campus for art integration that will enhance and improve passenger experience.  DEN aims to connect the community and its diverse international audience to the environment and culture of the vibrant City of Denver and the unique State of Colorado.  Public art locations were carefully strategized to ensure that new artworks are integrated into the airport environment with careful consideration and flexibility to accommodate the inevitable changes to the airport operations as we continue to grow.  DEN must maintain site lines to way finding, passenger amenities, and commercial opportunities within the airport environment.

 DEN CONCOURSE EXPANSION PROGRAM
The $1.5B Concourse Expansion Program is DEN’s largest capital improvement project since the airport first opened in 1995, aiming to meet the needs of DEN’s growing operations and is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2022.  It expands all three concourses, adding 39 gates for a 30% gate capacity increase.  Additionally, we have added thoughtfully designed passenger amenities including dining and shopping options, a variety of comfortable seating choices, expansive restrooms, charging stations, pet relief areas and outdoor observation decks.

The Concourse Expansion Program aims to bridge the existing concourse with the new expansion areas through a simplified design approach, visual decluttering of the interior space and improvements to the passenger experience through increased natural lighting, accessible views to the outdoors, and intuitive wayfinding.

Sustainability is a top priority of this program with all concourse expansion areas designed to achieve LEED Gold certification. The program had a heavy focus on sustainable materials, and each project is designed to use 30% less energy than typical airport facilities by:

• Utilizing rooftop Photovoltaic energy generation
• Energy recovery of exhaust and outdoor air
• Modern exterior and interior lighting
• Increased natural lighting throughout the concourses

 SUSPENDED ART OPPORTUNITIES (3 LOCATIONS)
Within the Concourse Expansion Program, three unique locations within the expansion sites have been identified for the integration of suspended artwork.

• Concourse A-West
• Concourse B-West
• Concourse C-East

This Request for Qualification (RFQ) is seeking to select three different artists or artist teams to create an original work of art for one of three site specific locations as outlined below.  All expansion areas are anticipated to be complete before artwork is selected, therefore installation will take place post-construction.

RFQ applications will determine artist(s) eligibility to propose artwork for the project sites and allows each artist or artist team to rank their preferred location site. The selection panel will jury all artist applications and if selected, assign each artist or team to one of the project sites to develop a public art proposal. Artist preference will be considered but the selection panel has the final decision of which site to assign to each artist or artist team

PROJECT GOALS
The selection panel and DEN have set forth specific goals and parameters for this public art project with the hope of creating memorable, exciting, and inspiring artwork for the millions of passengers and international guests of the airport.

• To activate all three of DEN’s concourse expansion areas with dynamic site-specific suspended artworks
• Reflect the individual personality of Concourse B and its travelers
• Speak to the international audience of DEN while also highlighting the culture of the vibrant City of Denver and the unique State of Colorado
• Have the artwork act as a landmark or meeting point, and provide a sense of place
• Utilize and preserve the intentionally designed natural lighting within the concourse
• Preserve the new outdoor views that the project offers to passengers at gate waiting areas and observation decks
• Provide a sense of wonderment and relief to the environment
• Complement the iconic architecture of DEN

SELECTED ARTISTS WILL BE ASKED TO CONSIDER:

• A daytime and nighttime presence utilizing the natural lighting that Colorado is known for with over 300 sunny days a year and four distinct seasons
• Subject matter that promotes a calm experience for travelers in a bustling environment
• Artworks that are proportional to scale and volume of the space
• Artwork with low maintenance and minimal operational costs
• Presence of required wayfinding and commercial signage

​For images and further information on the project sites listed below please refer to the site plan or visit:
https://www.flydenver.com/about/art_culture/public_art/art_opportunities

SITE 1: CONCOURSE A-WEST EXPANSION
Concourse A is DEN’s most diverse concourse with 20 servicing airlines from around the globe and the largest volume of our international travelers. In 2019, Concourse A served over 19 million passengers, 81% of that population either considers DEN to be their home airport or Denver and the surrounding region as their final destination.

The A-West expansion is the second largest site of the program, adding 530,000 sq.ft. to the concourse overall, 12 new gates for our airline partners, upgraded passenger amenities and modern concession areas. The A-West expansion is anticipated to open to the public early 2022.

DEN seeks to commission a suspended artwork installation within the center concourse ceiling above the circulation spaces of the concourse. Artists have the opportunity to activate two areas within the concourse acting as a “journey” piece that evolves with the passenger as they navigate through the airport. Within this expansion area the maximum artwork footprint is 512ft (L), 50ft (W), 11ft (D) or total available artwork volume of 281,600 ft3.

SITE 2: CONCOURSE B-WEST EXPANSION
To date, Concourse B is DEN’s busiest concourse and currently serves United Airlines, DEN’s largest airline partner. In 2019, Concourse B served 28 million passengers with 55% of the population connecting to another flight and 45% of passengers originating their travels at DEN or consider Denver and the surrounding region a final destination. Typically, DEN sees the largest volume of domestic business travelers within Concourse B.

The B-West expansion added 89,247 sq.ft. to the concourse overall, 4 new gates for our airline partners and upgraded passenger amenities. B-West is currently the only completed expansion of the program and has been open to the public since November of 2020.

DEN seeks to commission a suspended artwork within the center concourse ceiling over the circulation space towards the end of the newly expanded building. The artwork has a maximum footprint of 124ft (L), 23ft (W), 15ft (D) or total available artwork volume of 42,780 ft3.

SITE 3: CONCOURSE C-EAST EXPANSION
Concourse C is DEN’s second busiest concourse and is currently served primarily by Southwest Airlines. In 2019, 20 million passengers travelled through this concourse with 99% of the population traveling domestically. Passengers of Concourse C typically tend to be traveling for leisure, adventure or traveling with a family. The C-East expansion site is the largest expansion of the project, adding an additional 539,028 sq.ft. to the concourse overall, 16 new gates for our airline partners, modernized concessions and upgraded passenger amenities. The C-East expansion is anticipated to open to the public early 2022. 

DEN seeks to commission a suspended artwork installation within the two subcore atriums or within the center concourse ceiling above the circulation spaces. Artists have the opportunity to propose for both spaces, but the panel will only be selecting either the atriums or center concourse circulation space to activate with public art.  (More on both site locations below.)
 

CONCOURSE C-EAST SUBCORE ATRIUM SPACE
The proposed artwork space within the subcore atriums is 144 ft (L), 27ft (W), 35ft (D) or a total available artwork volume of 136,080 ft3. This option offers the opportunity to an artist or artist team to activate two atrium spaces within the concourse creating landmarks for the passenger. The atriums are situated above, circulation, restrooms, and seating space.  

CONCOURSE C-EAST CENTER CONCOURSE CIRCULATION SPACE
The proposed artwork space above the center concourse circulation area, offers the largest footprint of 604ft (L), 53ft (W) x 10ft (D) or total artwork volume of 320,120 ft3. The site offers the opportunity for an artist or artist team to activate multiple areas within the concourse and create a “journey” artwork that evolves with the passenger as they move through the concourse. The center concourse features a 42’ ceiling, light monitors with clerestory windows, expansive views, and lots of natural lighting.

BUDGET
The budget for this commission is approximately $800,000.00 – $2,500,000.00 USD per designated art location. In total, three artworks will be selected by the panel. Of the three artworks, one will be integrated into each concourse expansion space: Concourse A-West, Concourse B-West, and Concourse C-East. A final budget and commission will be awarded based upon the size of expansion area available, volume of space the artwork activates, materials, and complexity of each site.

The funds for this public artwork come from the City of Denver's 1% Percent for Public Art Ordinance, designated by the Concourse Expansion Program at Denver International Airport. This contract amount is inclusive of all costs associated with the art 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, permits, transportation, any building or site modification required (structural support, lighting, mechanical adjustments, etc.), travel to and from the site, per diem expenses, project documentation, a contingency to cover unexpected expenses, and any other associated costs. Installation for all locations will take place during off-peak operation hours including nights and weekends. For all work done on city property, prevailing wage requirements will be applied. All finalists are expected to stay on budget and to complete work in an approved time frame.

MAINTENANCE & DURABILITY
All applicants are expected to consider the issues of long-term conservation and maintenance of public art, along with time and budget. Public art projects should be fabricated of highly durable, low-maintenance materials. Finalists are encouraged to consult with a professional fabricator and/or conservator prior to the submission of a final proposal. Artist proposals awarded contracts will be reviewed by the City of Denver's Public Art Committee to ensure conformity with city standards of maintenance and durability, as well as ADA standards

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVENESS
Denver Executive Order No. 101 establishes strategies between the City and private industry to use diversity and inclusiveness to promote economic development in the City and County of Denver and to encourage more businesses to compete for City contracts and procurements. The Executive Order requires, among other things, the collection of certain information regarding the practices of the City’s contractors and consultants toward diversity and inclusiveness and encourages / requires City agencies to include diversity and inclusiveness policies in selection criteria where legally permitted in solicitations for the City services or goods. Diversity and inclusiveness means inviting values, perspectives, and contributions of people from diverse backgrounds and integrates diversity into its hiring and retention policies, training opportunities, and business development methods to provide an equal opportunity for each person to participate, contribute, and succeed within the organization’s workplace. “Diversity” encompasses a wide variety of human differences including differences such as race, ethnicity, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, physical disabilities, appearance, historically under marginalized and disadvantaged persons, as well as social identities such as religion, marital status, socio-economic status, lifestyle, educations, parental status, geographic background, language ability, and veteran status.

RESOURCES:
Please direct all questions about the project to Samantha Weston, DEN Public Art Program Administrator

Samantha.Weston@flydenver.com / 303-817-7266

• City & County of Denver’s Public Art Collection: https://denverpublicart.org/
• Public Art Policy and Ordinance: https://www.flydenver.com/sites/default/files/art/artPublicArtPolicy.pdf
• Denver International Airport Art Program/images:  https://www.flydenver.com/art / https://images.flydenver.com/Art-at-DIA/Permanent-Works
• DEN Public Art and Exhibits Master Plan: https://www.flydenver.com/sites/default/files/art/den_Public_Art_and_Exhibits_Master_Plan.pdf
• Assistance in using the CaFÉ™ system is available here: https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/
• Instructions on how to format images to CaFÉ™ specifications can be found at : https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/uploading-media

Application Requirements

APPLYING FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY
In response to this RFQ, applicants will be asked to submit the following items via www.callforentry.org (CaFÉ™)

• Up to 6 digital images of past public artwork
• Résumé
• Statement of interest no longer than 2,000 characters

From these applications, the selection panel will choose three to five finalists per art location to prepare a more in-depth art proposal. Artist(s) will receive more site-specific information and supplementing documents to aid in the proposal process. Finalists will be invited to present their concept design to the selection panel in person. Expenses related to travel, design concept and presentation materials will be offset by a set stipend. The final recommendation of the selection panel will be presented to the Denver Public Art Committee and the Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs for a vote of approval.  Finally, both the Mayor of Denver and Denver City Council will sign off on the selection.   

 Artist(s) selected as finalists will be required to submit a Diversity & Inclusiveness Form for their proposals to be considered, which will be provided upon notification. As directed by Executive Order 101, this form must be submitted for all city solicitations of proposals. Denver Arts & Venues Public Art Program staff can provide guidance on filling out this form. Based on the interview and proposal, an artist or artist team will be selected for this commission. The selected artist or artist team will work with the Public Art Program staff, Denver International Airport, and the Design-Build teams when finalizing their designs for installation.

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™ website.

Assistance in using the CaFÉ™ system is available here: https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/

Digital Images – In order to be considered for this project, the applicant must electronically submit six digital images of previously completed artworks through the online CaFÉ system. Artists who wish to submit kinetic, sound, or media works must submit a complete CaFÉ application and will have the opportunity to upload one video file.

Statement of Interest- Please submit a brief statement (2,000 character maximum) outlining the following:

• Your interest in Denver International Airport and the Concourse Expansion PrograM
• Please rank your preferred site location for artwork proposal among A-West, B-West, and C-East expansions
• Your design approaches
• Your experience working on public art projects of this nature
• Your experience working with diverse communities and stakeholders

Résumé – Submit a 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) Limit your résumé to no longer than two pages. If applying as a team, please submit one résumé with no more than one page per team member.

Survey—Applicants will be required to fill out a short demographic survey that will be sent via Microsoft Forms to the email on file from the CaFÉ™ application.

References – Selected finalists will be required to provide three professional references.

Eligibility Criteria

ELIGIBILITY
This project is open to all artists internationally. The Denver Public Art program is committed to building a public art collection 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.

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 no more than one page per team member.