Public Art: 124th RTD Station

The City of Thornton, in collaboration with the Regional Transportation District (RTD), is seeking to purchase existing prefabricated 3D large-scale work or designs for the 124th Avenue and First Street station. The public art work will serve as a gateway into Thornton and should touch on the station's overall theme of Historic Eastlake while creating a strong visual impact to help establish Thornton as an innovative and exciting destination-city engaged in contemporary conversations on art and culture.

The station theme is Historic Eastlake, a town founded over 100 years ago with deep agricultural roots and a rich history of irrigation, farming, and railroad commerce. Successful work should reflect Eastlake's long history, character, and agricultural heritage while demonstrating cohesive design, dynamic use of color and composition, interdisciplinary practice with innovative materials, experience in large-scale fabrication, and understanding of durable outdoor public art. The 124th Station has one designated site: two station planters, each 35 feet by 45 feet with a 14-foot height restriction. Both planters must be completed and installed by December 31, 2021.

Eligibility is open to Colorado-based artists, teams, architectural firms, schools, and individuals age 18 and over. Preference will be given to those with existing prefabricated work or designs ready for purchase. Special consideration will be given to local artists and youth/school programs. City of Thornton employees are not eligible. The total project budget is $40,000, inclusive of artist payment and all costs for transportation, shipping, installation, insurance, and project completion. Work samples should include 4-15 images and up to 2 videos. The RTD Review Panel will conduct a portfolio review in October, with final approval required from Thornton City Council by February 2021. Award winners will coordinate with RTD and city staff for implementation planning from February through December 2021.