Highline Canal Trail Public Art Commission

The City of Denver's Public Art program seeks to commission a Colorado artist or artist team to create a site-specific public artwork at the newly constructed High Line Canal Trail at Hampden Avenue and Colorado Boulevard in Denver. Construction of the new trail is expected to be completed in 2020. This section of the trail is approximately a half mile long adjacent to the east Hampden Ave. and Colorado Blvd. intersection. The paved trail and underpass will provide a safe connection across the busy intersection for both cyclists and pedestrians, carrying heavy vehicular traffic with a rate of more than 80,000 vehicles per day.

The High Line Canal Trail meanders 71 miles across the metro Denver area and is one of the longest and most spectacular linear parks in the nation. The canal spans 11 governmental jurisdictions from Waterton Canyon in Douglas County to Green Valley Ranch in Northeast Denver. More than 350,000 residents reside within one mile of the canal and annually more than 500,000 people use the canal as a recreational asset. Artwork will be mainly viewed by those in heavy vehicular traffic in constant motion or viewed while vehicles are stopped at nearby intersections. The selection panel seeks a unique, one-of-a-kind artwork appropriate for the High Line Canal Trail that speaks to the community, the history of the area, and the legacy of the High Line Canal. Motion, movement, and sound could act as a beacon for this location. The artwork must not be distracting to golfers at the nearby Wellshire Golf Course.

Eligibility is open to artists residing in Colorado, regardless of race, color, creed, gender, gender variance, sexual orientation, national origin, age, religion, marital status, political opinion or affiliation, or mental or physical disability. Artists working in any media are eligible to apply, and emerging artists are encouraged to apply. Artists may apply as a single artist or multi-person collaborative group. Applicants must submit six digital images of previous work, a résumé, and a statement of interest no longer than 2,000 characters via www.callforentry.org. Between three and five finalists will be selected to create site-specific proposals and present them to the selection panel. The selected artist or artist team will receive a commission budget of approximately $40,000 USD, which is inclusive of all costs including design fee, consultation fees, insurance, materials, fabrication, transportation, installation, and travel. All work done on city property will be subject to prevailing wage requirements. The deadline for entry is Monday, April 22, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. MST.