Ward Road Station Public Art

The City of Wheat Ridge and the Wheat Ridge Cultural Commission seek to commission public art to enhance major improvements for the Ward Road Transit Station in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. A total of $160,000 USD is available for site-specific artworks at multiple locations along the south side of the project site. These projects are open to all qualified artists residing in the United States, with preference given to artists who reside full-time in Colorado or in neighboring states.

The Art Selection Committee has recommended the creation of site-specific artworks at two predominant areas on the southern side of the project: the South Plaza/South Landing for a new pedestrian bridge providing access to the Ward Road Transit Station from the south, and a ¼-mile long multi-use trail extending from the south plaza down to the Interstate 70 frontage road. The trail will be carved out of the slope with soil-nail retaining walls, some at heights of 15 feet above grade, offering opportunities for artwork to be integrated into the wall and rest-areas along the trail.

The $160,000 USD budget is inclusive of all costs associated with the public art project including artist design fee, structural engineering, insurance, materials, fabrication, transportation, installation, site modifications, travel, per diem expenses, project documentation, and contingency. The budget could be used to commission one artist/artist team or be divided between multiple artists/artist teams. All applicants must be legal residents of the United States and must have skills and experience commensurate with successfully completing a public art installation. All artwork must be fabricated of highly durable, low-maintenance materials and will require engineering approval by an engineer licensed in Colorado. Semi-finalists will be paid an honorarium of $750-1500 for design and presentation of proposals. Applications must be submitted through CaFÉ (www.callforentry.org) with up to seven digital images and up to two videos of previously completed artworks, along with a current résumé. Deadline for applications is Friday, September 29, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. MST. There is no application fee.