Fairfax Park Public Art Commission

The City of Denver's Public Art Program seeks to commission an artist or team of artists to create an original public artwork for Fairfax Park, located at 2858 Fairfax St., Denver, CO 80207. This is a Request for Qualifications open to artists or artist teams residing in Colorado. The budget for this commission is approximately $35,000.00 USD, which includes all costs associated with the project: artist's design fee, consultation fees, insurance, materials, fabrication, transportation, installation, and project documentation.

Fairfax Park is one of Denver's newest pocket-sized parks featuring a playground, water play area, shaded picnic areas, and green space. The selection panel has identified the concrete seat wall at the back of the park as the preferred location for public art, with a recessed section on the façade that provides an opportunity for artistic intervention. The panel is open to artists proposing a vertical element in addition to artwork on the seat wall. Artworks could be created using diverse media including paint, sculpture, and mosaic applications. The panel is particularly interested in emerging artists and/or artists that have yet to receive a public art commission.

The panel seeks a subtle and contemplative artwork that appeals to the park's most frequent users—young people and their caregivers. There is interest in telling the story of Park Hill through visual representation or timeline, and in artwork that could unify the community and provide opportunities for members or nearby schools to be included in its creation. All artwork must be fabricated of highly durable, low-maintenance materials suitable for permanent outdoor display and subject to ADA standards. 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. Three to five finalists will be selected to create site-specific proposals and participate in interviews. Finalists will receive an honorarium for this work. The entry deadline is November 21, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. MST.