Aurora in Motion: Art Unexpected - Iliff Station and Parking Structure

The City of Aurora's Art in Public Places Program is seeking permanent installations at the Iliff Station and Parking Structure, part of the I-225 FasTracks system light rail project. The Art in Public Places Commission has determined that artwork at all stations along the light rail in Aurora will be focused on light, color and movement. The Program's mission is to create great places that contribute to neighborhood development, economic vitality, and enrich and engage the community of Aurora.

The selected artworks will be located in front of the station platform along a pedestrian walkway and on the plaza in front of the parking structure. The City seeks to commission two three-dimensional artworks complementary of one another to connect the Station and parking structure. The artwork at the station should be kinetic and monumental (25 to 30 feet tall), interact with the elements (sun, wind), and be visually interactive with the traveling public. The artwork at the parking structure should mirror the monumental sculpture at the station but does not necessarily need to be kinetic. All artwork must be made of durable, permanent media that is safe and requires little to no maintenance, be site-specific and properly scaled, and withstand strong winds, extreme temperatures, and spray from plows. The installation must include an applied graffiti-protective surface. Electricity will be provided for the parking structure installation but not at the Station installation. The artwork should not distract motorists and cannot resemble official traffic or highway signs.

Artists must demonstrate prior experience working on public art projects of similar scale and budget. Artist teams including fine-arts professionals, architects, and landscape architects are invited to apply. Teams that include one local or regional artist or contractor may be given preference. The budget available is $250,000 for the Station art and $60,000 for the parking structure, supporting design, fabrication, materials, engineering review, shipping, contract labor, installation, insurance, travel expenses, final documentation, and incidental expenses. The artist is responsible for delivering the proposed artwork within budget. Finalists will each receive a $1,000 honorarium to participate in an interview and site visit. Submissions are due February 1, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. MST and should include a letter of interest (500 words maximum), a two-page professional resume, three current references, and up to eight images (five of previous site-specific work and three conceptual images). Contact Mary Allman-Koernig at [email protected] or 303-739-6747.