Stapleton Pool Project

Stapleton announces a public art opportunity with a commission of $75,000. The artwork will be located at Stapleton's third community swimming pool in a residential neighborhood in Denver. The pool facility occupies an entire block bounded by 28th Place on the north, 28th Drive on the south, Geneva Street on the west and Hanover Street on the east. The site includes the pool bathhouse, pool, playground area and open space.

The focus of this public art project is the spare, elegant pool bathhouse and the immediate area surrounding it. The bathhouse consists of three low (8' high) rectangular pods for women's dressing room, men's dressing room, and registration area, with a fourth pod containing pool equipment. Courtyard spaces are created between and in front of the pods. Locations identified as having potential for distinctive public art include the central courtyard of the building, the courtyard area in front of the building, the pedestrian entrance on 28th Place, and the lawn area in the northwest quadrant. The artwork needs to have a visible presence throughout the year even though most activity at this site takes place in the summer months.

The Project Selection Committee considers this site as an opportunity for unique artwork appropriate to a neighborhood in the diverse urban community that is Stapleton. Sustainability is a major goal, and the use of recycled materials in the artwork may be appropriate. Artwork must be able to withstand the intense sun and temperature extremes characteristic of the Denver area, be safe to touch during summer heat, be durable with low maintenance requirements, and not interfere with pedestrian or vehicular traffic. Stapleton has adopted a "dark skies" initiative that addresses concerns for light pollution and energy efficiency.

Applications must include: a current resume for each artist/team member, eight (8) digital images of relevant work with accompanying image annotation listing media, size, title, date and brief description, and an artist's statement not to exceed 250 words addressing how the artwork is suitable for this site. Artists submitting media or sound-based work must also send samples in DVD format to Barbara Neal, PO Box 6982, Denver, CO 80206-0982, postmarked by the deadline. All materials must be submitted electronically via CaFÉ at www.callforentry.org by midnight MT, Thursday, April 26, 2007. Applicants must be legal residents of the United States. The Project Selection Committee will review submissions in mid-May and invite three finalists to submit full proposals and receive a design fee. Final selection will occur in late July.