University of Colorado Denver - Benson Terrace Sculpture

The University of Colorado Denver is seeking qualifications from artists interested in creating a public sculpture for the new Benson Terrace on CU Denver's campus in downtown Denver, Colorado. The terrace will be redesigned to be more welcoming to visitors and passersby, with the goal of making it more symbiotic with the courtyard and diagonal plaza being created as part of the new City Heights Residence Hall and Learning Commons project. The budget for this opportunity is $100,000, inclusive of all costs including the artist's design fee, consultation fees, materials, fabrication, transportation, installation, and any other project-related expenses.

The Selection Committee is looking to commission an artist to create a larger than life size sculpture of a lynx, CU Denver's mascot Milo the lynx, to honor the legacy of Bruce and Marcy Benson. The committee prefers a more realistic expression of the animal but is open to abstract or creative uses of form. The sculpture should be made of materials with proven longevity such as bronze or metal. The artwork should serve as a statement piece and photo opportunity for the University, celebrate the Bensons, and draw people into or near the Benson Terrace.

Applicants must submit 6-8 digital images of previously completed artworks, a current résumé, and a statement of interest of 250 words or less via the CaFÉ online platform. The statement should outline interest in the opportunity, applicable experience, and note any work examples in public locations in Colorado. Semi-finalist artists will receive $1,000 as an honorarium for the creation of a design proposal. The Selection Committee will consider artistic excellence, demonstrated experience with this type of sculpture, scale, material, form and content, appropriate relationship to the site function, resistance to wear and vandalism, and ease of maintenance. Artist presentations to the Selection Committee are scheduled for April/May 2020, with Benson Terrace completion scheduled for June/July 2020.