City of Loveland, CO - Willow Bend Adaptive Park Public Art Commission

Willow Bend will be the first universally accessible playground in the City of Loveland and one of only a few such specialized facilities in the Colorado Front Range area. Willow Bend Neighborhood Park, Playground, and Natural Area will encompass roughly 125 acres of property located southeast of downtown Loveland. The northern portion of the property is focused on active play and transitions into a more passive, natural environment at its southern end including a variety of trails, fishing ponds, and wildlife areas. The natural area portion of the site also includes a new environmental education area with its own parking lot, restrooms, and an ADA fishing dock. The park will open to the public in spring 2025, with public art elements likely added within 8 months of the commission award.

Because of the combination of a playground within a larger nature area, there is a desire for artwork with a nature-based, whimsical, fantasy-like theme and/or a kinetic piece. The commissioned public artwork must create a multisensory experience for park visitors and be accessible to individuals with a range of needs, which may include limited mobility, hearing impairment, cognition challenges, sight restrictions, etc. Selected artists should have demonstrated experience designing and/or fabricating creative elements suitable for a park and playground environment. Identified areas of interest include: The Plaza (located in a central site near the playground with built-in concrete seating and a large canopy shade structure), entry pathway to a shaded overlook, park entrance, and entry points off the main parking lot. Finalists will be provided with photos and videos of the site, and voluntary site visits may be available with City staff.

Up to three finalists may be selected to present design concepts and will be paid an honorarium to develop and present their artwork design concepts. Applications must include: a preliminary statement of approach communicating experience with similar scope and scale; at least 10 images of fabricated and installed public artwork completed within the past five years (no more than 2 images per project); professional resume highlighting similar outdoor commissions and/or sculpture installations; and 3 professional references. The all-inclusive budget is $55,000. Selected finalists must carry general liability insurance of $1 million and execute the design as presented. Stamped, engineered drawings are required before acceptance and installation. Materials must be safe and durable enough for the Colorado climate, including intense sun and winds of up to 120 mph.