Ellipse II

Stapleton announces a public art opportunity with a commission of $110,000 for the ellipse at East 35th Avenue and Xenia Street in Denver.

The ellipse is located at the intersection of two important axes: East 35th Avenue, which runs east and west linking Quebec Street to Havana Street, and Xenia Street, which runs south providing a sight view of Central Park. The ellipse is approximately 160 feet at its widest point and about 400 feet long. The area is designed as a pedestrian environment with walking paths around the perimeter, a pergola at the south side, and landscape planting. The central area is sodded turfgrass intended for passive recreational activities such as dog walking, ball/frisbee toss, jogging, and picnicking.

The artwork should encourage interaction with all generations during the day and in the evening. It could be composed of a single or multiple elements but must not inhibit the view corridor to Central Park. The artwork could be functional and could be incorporated into the trellis or pergola feature, although neither is required. The topography of the ellipse is important; the landscape and green space could be considered a canvas. The artwork must be designed to be durable, require minimal maintenance and low cost maintenance, and be able to withstand intense sun, snow, wind and temperature extremes characteristic of the Denver area. It should not impede or interfere with pedestrian or vehicular traffic or obstruct sight lines.

Applications must include a current resume for each artist/team member, eight digital images of relevant work with accompanying annotation listing media, size, title, date and brief description, and an artist's statement not to exceed 250 words addressing the preliminary concept for the site. All materials must be submitted in digital format via www.callforentry.org by midnight, Monday, August 6, 2007. Applicants must be legal residents of the United States. The Project Selection Committee will review applications on August 16th and invite three finalists to submit full proposals and receive a design fee. Final selection will occur on October 23rd.