City Park - Nature Play

The City of Denver's Public Art Program seeks to commission an artist or artist team to create a one-of-a-kind public artwork or series of artworks for Nature Play, a unique partnership between the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and Denver Parks & Recreation within City Park. The selection panel has identified multiple outdoor locations in the new improvement area for potential artworks and will select one artist or artist team for the allocated total budget of approximately USD $70,000.00. Eligibility is open to artists or artist teams residing in the state of Colorado.

The Nature Play project will restore water to portions of the historic Box Canyon Waterway and integrate opportunities for respite and play in the southeast corner of City Park. The landscape will be re-established with Colorado native plant species, immersing people in environments evocative of Colorado's diverse ecosystems. Artwork should complement the landscape design by celebrating connections between wildlife, plant life and humans. It should encourage discovery and wonder, invite visitors to move through and partake in a self-directed journey, and be inclusive and accessible, engaging multiple senses to captivate people of all ages and abilities.

The selection panel is open to artwork in all environmentally-conscious media for outdoor display including sculpture, reliefs and infrastructure interventions. Durability and ease of maintenance are important considerations. Applicants must submit six digital images of past work, a résumé, and a statement of interest (no longer than 2,000 characters) via www.callforentry.org. The selection panel will choose three to five finalists who will create site-specific proposals and be interviewed in person or virtually. Artists will be paid an honorarium for this work. The budget of approximately USD $70,000.00 is inclusive of all costs including design fee, consultation fees, insurance, materials, fabrication, transportation, installation, and any other project-related expenses. Prevailing wage requirements will apply for all work done on city property.