North Taft Avenue Bridge Public Art Commission

The City of Loveland is seeking an artist to design and fabricate artwork for the railings of the new North Taft Avenue Bridge. The artwork will be placed on the proposed railings of the new structure and must be considered safe for the traveling public without creating snagging points or obstacles that could be dangerous if impacted by vehicles, cyclists, or pedestrians. Artwork can be attached using the proposed railing or base plates that anchor the railing to the concrete parapet. All proposed designs must be approved by a City of Loveland engineer.

The bridge site is urban in nature with sidewalks on both sides and experiences approximately 20,000 vehicles daily. The proposed bridge will be 33 feet long and 92 feet wide, featuring four travel lanes, a center turn lane, two bike lanes, and two sidewalks. The barrier on each side consists of a concrete parapet and steel railing totaling 3 feet 6 inches high. The main railings will be constructed of galvanized 2-inch steel tubes with vertical 2-inch tubes every 5 feet connecting to the concrete parapet. The steel railing can be detached for off-site work.

Budget: $15,000 all inclusive. Eligibility requires completion of other public art projects, with successful installations of similar scale considered favorably. Applicants must submit 5-10 images of past work made within the last 10 years, a resume with references, and a brief artist statement describing interest in the project and relevant experience. Up to three finalists will be selected to view the site and prepare a proposal, for which a $500 stipend will be provided post-presentation. Timeline: Call opens February 15, submissions due March 3, finalists notified by March 16, artist presentations April 6, winner announced April 12, fabrication May/June, installation Summer 2016.