The City of Denver Public Art Program and the Denver Performing Arts Complex (DPAC) Art Selection Panel have released a Request for Qualifications for artists who wish to work on a public art project for several of the façades within the DPAC campus. The panel is interested in permanent or semi-permanent light-based artworks that are interactive and create interest and impact at the site.
Budget: $230,000
Eligibility: Open nationally to all artists, regardless of race, color, creed, gender, gender variance, sexual orientation, national origin, age, religion, marital status, political opinion or affiliation, or mental or physical disability. Artists working in any media are eligible to apply. Artists with experience integrating artwork(s) onto existing building façades are encouraged to apply. Artists with experience in interactive light-based artworks are also encouraged to apply. Applicants may apply as a single artist or multi-person collaborative group. If applying as a team, please submit one résumé for the team, with 1-2 pages per team member.
Deadline: Wednesday, June 7, 2017 - 11:59p.m. MST
The Denver Performing Arts Complex (DPAC) is the second largest performing arts center in the United States, generating $141M impact to the economy, and serving as the regional hub for traditional performing arts. The 12-acre site contains ten performance venues serving four resident organizations with approximately 9,500 seats connected by an 80 ft. tall iconic glass canopy. The Arts Complex is in the heart of Downtown Denver and its Theatre District. DPAC, owned by the city of Denver and managed by Denver
The Next Stage plan envisions The Denver Performing Arts Complex as an enlivened, vibrant, thriving, public regional center of cultural activity in the heart of downtown. It will attract diverse audiences, celebrate a variety of art forms, contribute to the city’s economic vitality, enhance Denver’s urban fabric, integrate with neighboring amenities, including the Colorado Convention Center, and serve as an innovative model for sustainable cultural and civic investment. More information can be found here: http://artsandvenuesdenver.com/venues/denver-performing-arts-complex/the-next-stage-unveiled/
Artwork Site
The site for the artwork(s) is the soon-to-be-built plaza at the intersection of Champa Street and 13th Street. The existing elevator shaft and raised walkway will be removed in summer of 2017 and plaza seating and landscaping will be installed. This plaza will be adjacent to several art and cultural activities planned by the Denver Theatre District, the Colorado Convention Center and Denver Arts & Venues, and could become a hub for these kinds of activities. The main area for the artwork(s) will be on the building facades that surround the future plaza. The facades include one on the Commons on Champa Building, three on the Boettcher Concert Hall, one on the Buell Theatre and one on the Colorado Convention Center. These facades create an “outdoor living room”.
Artwork Information
The selection panel members have set forth specific goals and parameters for this public art project with the hope of creating a unique and inspiring work of art for the diverse communities that visit and enjoy the DPAC and the Colorado Convention Center. The panel is most interested in light-based or projection artwork. The panel is also open to 2 and 3-dimensional art elements on the facades, utilizing a variety of materials. Whether the artwork is light-based, projection, or an alternative medium, creating a piece of artwork that is conceptually responsive to the site’s context and surrounding facilities’ celebration of art, culture, engagement and/or performance is desired. The selection panel is open to permanent or semi-permanent artwork(s). Interactivity is also an important component. The panel is not interested in stand-alone sculptures at the site. The project should be fabricated of highly durable, low-maintenance materials.
Selection process
In response to this RFQ, applicants will be asked to submit eight digital images, a résumé, and a statement of interest no longer than 2,000 characters viawww.callforentry.org (CaFÉ™). From these applications, the selection panel will choose between three and five semifinalists who will be required to present their proposal to the Art Selection Panel. Colorado artists will be provided an honorarium of $1,500, and out-of-state artists will be provided $2,000 to prepare and present the proposal in person. Artists/teams selected as semi-finalists will be required to submit a Diversity & Inclusiveness Form in order for their proposals to be considered, which will be provided upon notification. Semifinalists will be expected to pay for travel expenses from the honorarium. From the interview or proposal, an artist or artist team will be selected for this commission. The selected artist or artist team for the commission will collaborate with the Public Art Program staff and DPAC staff when finalizing their designs for installation.
Diversity and Inclusiveness
Denver Executive Order No. 101 establishes strategies between the City and private industry to use diversity and inclusiveness to promote economic development in the City and County of Denver and to encourage more businesses to compete for City contracts and procurements. Diversity and Inclusiveness means inviting values, perspectives and contributions of people from diverse backgrounds, and integrates diversity into its hiring and retention policies, training opportunities, and business development methods to provide an equal opportunity for each person to participate, contribute, and succeed within the organization’s workplace. “Diversity” encompasses a wide variety of human differences, including differences such as race, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, physical disabilities, appearance, historically underutilized and disadvantaged persons, as well as social identities such as religion, marital status, socio-economic status, lifestyle, education, parental status, geographic background, language ability, and veteran status.
Timeline
(Except for online application deadline, timeline is subject to adjustments)
Wednesday, June 7, 11:59 MST: Deadline for entry (via CaFÉ™ system)
July: Semifinalist Selection
August: Finalist Selection
September: Finalist Notification
Submission Requirements
All materials must be submitted online, via the CaFÉ™ website There is no application fee to apply or to use the CaFÉ™ online application system.
Digital Images—In order to be considered for this project, the applicant must electronically submit eight digital images, 6 of which must be previously completed artworks, through the CaFÉ™ system.
Instructions on how to format images to CaFÉ™ specifications can be found at http://www.callforentry.org/imaging_tips.phtml . Assistance in using the CaFÉ™ system is available during regular business hours by calling 303-629-1166 or 888-562-7232, or via email at cafe@westaf.org. If an artist does not have access to a computer, s/he may call 720-865-5563 to make arrangements to use a computer at Denver Arts & Venues offices.
Statement of Interest—Please submit a statement briefly outlining your interest in the Denver Performing Arts Complex Public Art Project and experience working on projects of this kind (2,000 character maximum) via CaFÉ™.
Résumé—Submit a one-to-two page current résumé via CaFÉ™ that highlights your professional accomplishments as an artist. Please name your résumé file accordingly: Last name.First initial (i.e. Smith.J.pdf). Résumés that are more than two pages will not be downloaded. If applying as a team, please submit one résumé with 1-2 pages per team member.
QUESTIONS?
Please direct all questions about the project to Brendan Picker at brendan.picker@denvergov.org or by calling 720-865-5563.
