GJ Community Recreation Center Recognition Wall Art Call for Artists

The City of Grand Junction and the Grand Junction Commission on Arts and Culture (GJCAC) are seeking an artist to create original artwork for the Recognition Wall in the Community Recreation Center (CRC). The artwork will feature 125-150 individual engravable pieces in a variety of shapes and sizes for recognized names, with opportunities for expansion each year. The design should be flexible to accommodate new names and utilize the specified design threads and color palette (SW 7538 Tamarind for the recognition wall and SW 7705 Wheat Penny for the adjacent hallway wall).

The artwork must be original, socially acceptable, and reflect aspects of the Grand Junction landscape or natural color palette. All materials must be lightweight, durable, resistant to vandalism and scratches, and require minimal maintenance. Wood or other light-weight engravable materials must be used for individual name pieces. The wall has no backing, so items must be affixed to studs spaced 16 inches apart. Artists must provide dimensions of all pieces to be replicated as new names are added.

The project is open to all artists age 21 and over. Preference points may be given to local Colorado artists. The budget cannot exceed $50,000 and includes all costs: artist's design fee, travel, materials, fabrication, insurance, documentation, transportation, and installation. Artists are responsible for protecting flooring, fixtures, and adjacent areas during installation. Application deadline is February 22, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. MST. Applicants must submit a letter of interest (1 page), resume (2 pages), one-page design description, concept sketches, and 3-5 images of original representative work (.JPG/.JPEG format, maximum 1024 x 768 pixels, no larger than 1mb each). The selection panel will review applications and work with the selected artist to develop a final design. Artists will be notified between March 13-27, 2026. Installation deadline is August 1, 2026.