Art on the Street 2026 Call for Outdoor Sculptures

Exhibit your sculpture outdoors in downtown Lafayette, Colorado for one year through the Art on the Street (AOTS) sculpture on loan program. If selected by the Public Art Committee, artists receive a $1,200 honorarium for a one-year installation. Three additional prizes are awarded annually: the $1,000 Jean Mellblom Award for Artistic Excellence, the $500 People's Choice Award, and the $500 Most Inspiring! Award. The program is entering its 18th year with twenty sculpture locations to fill. On average, 1-2 sculptures have been purchased from the AOTS program each year.

Submit 3-6 photos of one sculpture per application, with photos from different sides and close-ups encouraged. Only one sculpture per application is permitted, though artists may submit up to 3 applications. The Public Art Committee will consider all submissions based on artistic merit, inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility. Each selected sculpture will be featured on its own web page and in printed brochures in English and Spanish.

Installations are scheduled for April 20-23, 2026, with rain/snow alternate dates the following week. The installation crew will carefully install artwork to steel pedestals or concrete pads with steel inserts, providing all necessary welding equipment, power drills, lifts, hardware, and tools. A community engagement art contest called See & Respond! highlights the Art on the Street sculptures each year, with entries displayed at the Art on the Street, See & Respond! Meet the Artists Reception held in October at the Lafayette Public Library. Timeline: Entries due October 23, 2025; selections made in November 2025; artists notified by December 2025; installation April 20-23, 2026; reception and awards ceremony October 17, 2026 (tentative); uninstall April 2027.