Westerly Creek Public Art Project

Stapleton announces a public art opportunity with a commission of $155,000 for the Westerly Creek Public Art Project.

The site is Westerly Creek Open Space, an ecologically designed environment at Stapleton that serves the storm water management needs of the community. The design allows natural and human activities to converge, providing habitat for plants and animals and passive recreational opportunities for people. Westerly Creek's primary purpose is to control and convey drainage and flood waters through Stapleton northward to Sand Creek. A sinuous water channel meanders through the valley's center, with flow that changes dramatically based on water amount and season. The water is cleaned, slowed, and contained by surrounding landforms and drop structures. Native and drought tolerant tree and shrub material, wetland plants, and grasses create ecotones similar to eastern Colorado foothills/prairie wetland along the creek bed, with mid-grass prairie on upward slopes. The open space corridor provides wildlife habitat for deer, jackrabbits, coyote, raccoon, muskrat, beaver, great blue heron, snowy egrets, cormorants, American avocets, mallards, swallows, crawdads, snakes, toads, frogs, and dragonflies. Extensive trail systems allow walkers and bikers to circulate throughout the community.

The Project Selection Committee is interested in artwork that speaks to the environmental significance of Westerly Creek, its story, function, and value as a model of sustainability principles. Artwork may include one or more elements or a series of elements and should highlight the complex changing environment, be dynamic and stimulate discovery, and may have a narrative component. Artwork must be sited in open space and designed to be durable with minimal and low-cost maintenance. It must withstand intense sun, snow, wind, and temperature extremes characteristic of the Denver area, not interfere with Westerly Creek's purpose and function, and comply with City and County of Denver rules and regulations. There is no electrical power along Westerly Creek.

Applications must be submitted via CaFÉ at www.callforentry.org and include: a current resume for each artist/team member, eight digital images of relevant work with media, size, title, date and brief description, and an artist's statement not to exceed 300 words describing the artist's/team's approach to this type of project.