Hispanic History and Heritage Project

The City of Thornton, in collaboration with the Thornton Arts, Sciences and Humanities Council (TASHCO), is seeking to commission original public art for Pecos Park, a public park located in Ward 1 of Thornton, Colorado. This project will commission 3-D, interactive, site-specific work that will celebrate the history and cultural contributions of the Hispanic community in Thornton. The work will explore multilingual, multicultural, and multiethnic themes to bring light to the nationalities, generations, gender identities, and weave the story of the Hispanic Diaspora. Artists are strongly encouraged to explore contemporary materials, themes, and utilize interdisciplinary practices, including unique and exciting use of technology. This project asks artists to go beyond static imagery or statuary to engage visitors and activate the park with a contemporary, innovative, and permanent public art piece. Artists will be required to research the Hispanic community in the City of Thornton and the Pecos Park area, and reflect their engagement and learnings in the final design.

Applicants must ensure visitor safety and security are a priority. Materials must be durable for Colorado's climate and require little or easy maintenance. Detailed engineering drawings stamped by a local Colorado engineer are required. Designs must account for external factors including direct sunlight, extreme weather, temperature fluctuations, flooding, wind, and human interaction. The design cannot contain business promotions, advertisements, intellectual property breaches, or depictions of illegal activities, and must be family friendly. The project budget is $87,000, inclusive of the artist's fee, materials, fabrication, execution, equipment rentals, licenses, permits, and insurance. The final project deadline is December 31, 2025.

The review process includes five rounds: Portfolio Review (images of recent work required; 4-15 images minimum), Semi Finalist Deliberation (up to three semifinalists selected and issued an honorarium), Design Presentations (semifinalists present site-specific proposals via Zoom), Final Deliberation (panel scores on artistic quality, project feasibility, community activation/engagement, project goals, and overall proposal), and Council Recommendation and Final Approval (Thornton City Council must approve the award). Semifinalists must submit a final design, artist statement, 3D rendering, itemized budget, engineering and installation schedule, materials list, warranty information, and maintenance procedures.