Public Art Commission: Trail Winds Recreation Center

The City of Thornton in collaboration with the Thornton Arts, Sciences and Humanities Council (TASHCO) is seeking to commission large-scale, original public art for the new Trail Winds Recreation Center located at 13495 Holly Street, Thornton, CO 80602. The facility, completed in fall 2019, includes a theater space, multi-purpose rooms, preschool, gymnasium, climbing wall, indoor elevated running track, lap pool, lazy river, leisure pool, and water slides. The project will produce public art that speaks to the location, has a positive visual impact, and welcomes visitors to the facility.

The large focal piece will be installed in the roundabout located in front of the facility. Additional optional opportunities exist for indoor pieces on the east wall of the Active Adult entrance and the indoor pool area, which may benefit from projection mapping or other interactive technology-based work. The project budget is $84,000, inclusive of artist design fees and costs associated with materials, fabrication, transportation, shipping, installation, insurance, and other expenses. The focal piece must be able to withstand Colorado's constantly changing weather conditions, including wide temperature fluctuations and intense sunlight. Materials must be durable and require little to easy maintenance. Design cannot contain business promotions, advertisements, intellectual property breaches, or depictions of illegal activities, and must be family-friendly.

This nationwide call is open to all artists, design teams, architectural firms, and others age 18 and over. Preference will be given to those with proven history of fabrication and installation of large-scale public work. City of Thornton employees are not eligible. Submission requirements include 5–15 images of completed large-scale work, a written statement or video detailing creative process, resume/CV with 2–3 professional references, and optional rough sketches or concept ideas and estimated budget outline. The review process may include three rounds: Round 1 (portfolio review to identify up to three finalists), Round 2 (site-specific proposal with modest honorarium), and Round 3 (public forum if needed). Final approval requires Thornton City Council authorization. Installation is scheduled for July–December 2020, with final project deadline of December 31, 2020.