Sandhills Prairie Park Public Art Project

Stapleton announces a public art opportunity with a commission of $175,000. The site is Sandhills Prairie Park, a 36-acre landscaped park in north Stapleton that takes inspiration from sandhill land forms. One of the park's hills is the highest point in Stapleton, affording a dramatic view of the Front Range. The park offers both passive and active areas for recreation and community gathering and functions as part of the larger storm water management system with a small channel running through it. A concrete path through the park connects to other parks in north Stapleton and to the larger regional trail linking Stapleton to neighboring communities in metropolitan Denver.

Both Sandhills Prairie Park and an adjacent tunnel are considered potential sites for public art. The tunnel is approximately 116 feet long and 28 feet wide, with a concrete path 12 feet wide. The tunnel ceiling is approximately 13 feet from the path and is illuminated by lights in the ceiling with electrical power available. Opportunities for artwork in the tunnel include color, light, kinetic experience, and possibly sound. The artwork may extend to the wing walls and entrance approaches. The Project Selection Committee is interested in dynamic artwork that animates the space and creates an exceptional visual experience.

Artwork must be designed to be durable and require minimal and low-cost maintenance. It must withstand intense sun, snow, wind and temperature extremes characteristic of the Denver area, and must not interfere with the purpose and function of Sandhills Prairie Park or use of the underpass. Artwork must comply with rules, regulations and guidelines of the City and County of Denver applicable to this site and to Denver Parks. Stapleton has adopted a Master Plan for Lighting including a "dark skies" initiative that addresses concerns for light pollution and energy efficiency.

Applications must be submitted via www.callforentry.org by midnight (MDT), Wednesday, July 1, 2015 and must include: a current resume for each artist and/or team member; six digital images of relevant work with annotation listing media, size, title, date and brief description (one video may be included as one of the six images); and an artist's statement not to exceed 1000 characters describing the artist's/team's approach to this type of project. Three finalists will be invited to submit full proposals and will receive a design fee and travel stipend. A site visit will be scheduled in late July. Final selection will be made on Tuesday, September 8th. All applicants must be legally residing in the United States.