Golden, Colorado Roundabout Public Art Project

This public art project seeks an artist or artist team to create a life-size sculpture for a roundabout serving as an entryway into the City of Golden from I-70. The roundabout is heavily trafficked by visitors, cyclists, commuters, residents, and people traveling to nearby neighborhoods and Shelton Elementary School. An open space/park land immediately east of the roundabout is where the Golden elk herd congregates throughout the year.

The selection committee prefers artwork incorporating a life-size Rocky Mountain elk cow and two calves (early life to yearlings). An elk cow measures 4 1/2 feet at the shoulder and 6 feet 9 inches nose to tail. Artwork size can be increased by up to 20 percent from natural proportions for scaling purposes. The artistic piece will be placed within a circular, naturalistic setting of approximately 28 feet in diameter, centered in the roundabout and raised on a natural-looking base approximately two to three feet above the center for traffic safety. The base may consist of local rock without vegetation or with xeriscape, low-maintenance plantings. The roundabout should be treated as a theatre in the round, with each element of the statue playing to all viewers regardless of position. Suggested features include active, playful stances for young calves, active awareness positioning for the female, and "all-seeing eyes" positioning so drivers and cyclists feel observed by one or two elk. The artwork should appeal to and resonate with multiple audiences, as community fundraising will be required.

Artists must have experience successfully completing similar projects. Selection will be based on artistic merit relative to project specifications, technical proficiency, long-term maintenance, durability, overall costs, and public safety concerns. The project budget does not exceed $50,000 to $55,000. Finalists will be asked to provide detailed sketches, renderings, and/or 3-D designs and will be compensated for these efforts before final selection. Entry fee is $20.00. Work sample requirements: minimum 5 images, maximum 20 images; up to 2 audio files and up to 2 video files accepted. International artists are eligible.