Artist Sought for Outpatient Medical Center Public Art

The City of Denver’s Public Art Program seeks to commission an artist or team of artists to create an original, site-specific, outdoor public artwork for the new Denver Health Outpatient Medical Center which is slated to open in the summer of 2020.

Budget: $485,000
Eligibility: Professional artists over 18
Deadline: 03/09/2020 11:59 PM Central Time

Site History
The new Denver Health Outpatient Medical Center will significantly increase the hospital’s patient capacity to provide outpatient care, meeting the future needs of our growing, vibrant city. Once completed, the Center will measure 293,000 square feet, centralizing numerous services under one roof in an easy-to-access downtown location. It will include a day surgery center, expanded pharmacy operations, lab services and radiology. The building will greatly enhance Denver Health’s ability to provide treatment for heart disease, cancer and diabetes. It will also be a center for behavioral health, dental and oral health, and offer expanded services for eye exams and physical therapy. Consolidating clinics will free up much needed space on campus, allowing the hospital to boost primary care services, increase the number of inpatient psychiatric beds and expand operating rooms.

The Denver Health Mission and Vision is to:

• provide access to the highest quality health care, whether for prevention, or acute and chronic diseases, regardless of ability to pay;
• provide life-saving emergency medicine and trauma services to Denver and the Rocky Mountain region;
• fulfill public health functions as dictated by the Denver Charter and the needs of the citizens of Denver;
• provide health education for patients;
• participate in the education of the next generation of health care professionals; and
• engage in research, enhancing their ability to meet the health care needs of Denver Health system patients to be the healthiest community in the United States.

Artwork Location Description
The site for the proposed artwork is adjacent to the new Denver Health Outpatient Medical Center and faces Speer Boulevard. The area is visible to employees, patients and visitors to the center, as well as pedestrians and vehicular traffic along Speer Boulevard. The site will contain landscaping and also serves water collection and drainage purposes. The selected artist will work with Public Art program staff as well as Denver Health design professionals when finalizing the location for the artwork(s).

Artwork Goals
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 who will soon visit the Denver Health Outpatient Medical Center.

• The selection panel has recommended that the artwork be inclusive and responsive to the culturally diverse peoples who work at, visit or live near the Denver Health Campus.
• The panel is looking for artworks that create a sense of hope, and are uplifting and iconic.
• The selection panel is open to artwork in all media and materials that are suitable for outdoor display.
• Artists are asked to be mindful and respectful of the campus’s functionality, its users and the neighborhood, as well as the mission of Denver Health and the new Outpatient Medical Center.
• All applicants are expected to consider the issues of long-term conservation and maintenance of public art, along with time and budget. These projects are located in the public realm and will be exposed to weather and physical stresses, as well as be subject to vandalism. Public art projects should be fabricated of highly durable, low-maintenance materials. Finalists are encouraged to consult with a professional conservator prior to the submission of a final proposal.
• The chosen proposals will be reviewed by the City of Denver’s Public Art Committee to ensure conformity with city standards of maintenance and durability, as well as American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.
• The selected artist/team is expected to stay on budget and to complete work in an approved time frame.

Timeline

• Monday, March 9, 2020; 11:59 P.M. MST: Deadline for entry (via CaFÉ™ system)
• April, 2020: Finalist Selection
• June, 2020: Artist Selection and Notification

Selection Process

Up to five artists/artist teams will be selected as finalists. Finalists will be required to consult with Denver Health and Denver Public Art staff prior to the submission of a final proposal. The selection panel will interview and/or review proposals from finalists and recommend one for the project. The final recommendation of the selection panel will be presented to the Public Art Committee, the Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs, and the Mayor of Denver for final approval. All decisions of the City and County of Denver are final. Finalists will receive more specific information regarding the site and have the opportunity to meet with project representatives, Denver Health Outpatient Medical Center and Denver Public Art staff. Artists/teams selected as finalists will be required to submit a Diversity & Inclusiveness Form for their proposals to be considered, which will be provided upon notification. As directed by Executive Order 101, this form must be submitted for all city solicitations of proposals. Denver Public Art Program staff can provide guidance on filling out this form. Finalists 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 will collaborate with Denver Public Art and Denver Health design team when finalizing their designs for installation.

What to Submit

Please read this section carefully. Incomplete applications will NOT be considered. The applicant’s name must appear on all materials submitted.

1. Digital Images—In order to be considered for this project, the applicant must electronically submit six digital images of previously completed artworks. Artists who wish to submit kinetic, sound or media works will have the opportunity to upload up to two video files. IMPORTANT: if submitting audio or video files, do not use them as your very first image. They must be submitted last in your image sequence. Instructions on how to format images to CaFÉ™ specifications can be found at https://www.callforentry.org/uploading-images-audio-and-video-files/.
2. Statement of Interest—Please submit a statement outlining your interest in the Denver Health Outpatient Medical Center public art project and why it is of special interest to you (2,000 character maximum)
3. Résumé—Submit a one to two-page current résumé 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 one page per team member.
4. Survey – Applicants will also be required to fill out a short demographic survey that will be sent via the Survey Monkey website to the email on file from the CaFÉ™ application.
5. References – Applicants who are selected to be finalists will be required to provide three professional references.

How to Submit

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. Assistance in using the CaFÉ™ system is available here:  https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/. If an artist does not have access to a computer, he/she may call 720-865-5564 to use a computer at Denver Arts & Venues offices.

QUESTIONS? Contact Mary Valdez, mary.valdez@denvergov.org