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Calling All Artists!
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Riverdale Regional Park Water Tank Mural
Public Art Installation
Call for Entry
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF QUALIFICATIONS: May 12, 2024 at 11:59 PM MDT
Apply here
Project Name: Riverdale Regional Park Water Tower Mural
Budget: $55,500
Amount inclusive of all costs associated with the design and installation of a mural on the Riverdale Regional Park water tank. This includes but is not limited to, artist fees, meetings, site visits, site survey, design, materials, material tests, fabrication, site access (scaffolding, lift, etc.), installation, community engagement, insurance conforming to Adams County requirements, travel, transportation and expenses, fabrication documentation, post-installation documentation, maintenance plan, consultants’, and subcontractors' fees for, and all other costs associated with this project. Please note that primer and sealant are not part of the mural artist’s scope and will be contracted separately by the county.
*Additionally, 3-5 finalists will be awarded a $500 honorarium to complete a project-specific proposal.
Open To: Professional Artist(s)
Project Number: 2024.030
Project Description:
Adams County Cultural Arts seeks an artist or artist team to create an original mural on a water tank located at the Riverdale Animal Shelter in Riverdale Regional Park at 12155 Park Blvd, Brighton, CO 80601.
The mural design for this highly visible landmark should reference the deep connection between humans and the environment.
Artist’s budget includes mural design, materials, and installation as well as community engagement and documentation. Primer and topcoat are not part of the artist’s scope.
Project Vision
Mural Design
Situated within the larger context of Riverdale Regional Park, the water tank mural will honor the deep connection between humans and the environment.
The South Platte River winds through Riverdale Regional Park. Over millions of years, it’s flooding banks and changing course created the fertile soils of this river valley. Early inhabitants of the region, plains tribal nations, established agricultural settlements and nomadic routes in the region shaped by movement of the river and buffalo.
Now, Riverdale Regional Park is the site of recreational activities and cultural events as it’s prairie and river ecosystems continue to host a diversity of plant and animal life. People come to Riverdale year-round to visit the Adams County Fair, the Adams County Historical Society & Museum, the Riverdale Animal Shelter, and Mann-Nyholt Lake. Residents play disc golf, fish, and celebrate family reunions, quinceañeras, Pride, and Festival Latino in the park. Protected Open Spaces in Riverdale support habitats for local plains and wildlife and continuous habitat corridors along the South Platte.
We invite artists to explore the rich environmental and cultural history of the Riverdale Regional Park. The nearby Riverdale Animal Shelter has many pet-focused artworks, we do not want to repeat that theme in the water tank mural design. A successful mural design will be impactful when viewed up close and at a distance. Most viewers will view the mural from 500 – 4,000 ft away while passing by on foot, bike, or car. Folks on the trail system or visiting Riverdale Animal Shelter can walk right up to the tank for a detailed view. The selected artist must consider both vantage points in the mural design.
Site Information
The water tank is located at 12155 Park Blvd. Brighton, CO 80601. It sits next to the Riverdale Animal Shelter and can be seen from the surrounding park trails, the South Platte River Trail, and the Adams County Historical Society and Museum. It is also visible from the following major roads: East 120th Parkway, Riverdale Road, Henderson Road, and Brighton Road.
The textured steel tank is 26 feet high with a circumference of 103 feet. See attached photos and elevations for more information. The water tank is part of the Riverdale Animal Shelter, which is open to the public. Artists are encouraged to visit the site to inform their applications.
A paint vendor contracted by Adams County will be responsible for primer and top-coat materials and installation. The selected artist will be responsible for mural materials and installation. The selected artist will work closely with Adams County staff and the contracted paint vendor to ensure that planned materials, site access, and installation process will not compromise the functionality of the water tank.
Community Engagement
We want public art to be relevant and accessible to everyone in Adams County. The selected artist or artist team will invite the public into their art practice through community engagement. Engagement can take many forms. It is unique to each project and shaped by each artist’s practice and process. We ask artists to thoughtfully engage the public to facilitate creative and unique experience for our residents. Past examples include community artmaking at the project site, a County event, or a County facility, gathering community input and idea-making, social media campaigns, and workshops or other ways to let the community into your art practice and process .
Project Documentation
Adams County requests photo and video documentation by the artist or artist team, and will be used to share the selected artist’s art practice with the public during and after the installation is complete. Documentation includes photo and/or video of the design process, community engagement, artwork fabrication, artwork installation, and artwork post installation. Documentation may be used in the following ways: Adams County websites, social media, newsletters, and print content, or for media inquiries.\
Submission Requirements
All professional artists responding to the call-for-entry must submit complete answers in the CaFÉ application. Responses will be evaluated based on the selection criteria below. Respondents should present the required information clearly and concisely.
Initial Application through CallForEntry.org.
- 5–10 Work Samples (photos or videos) highlighting past projects of similar scope
- Include year, dimensions, materials, location, and budget in image description
- If you are applying as artist team indicate pieces created together and as individuals
- Sketches and concepts design may be included if past work does not represent the visual approach you will take with this project.
- A statement of interest
- A brief narrative describing your interest in the project and you/your art practice’s connection to the project vision.
- Resume highlighting past projects of similar scope
Applications that do not provide the required information will not be considered. All materials must be submitted via the CaFÉ online application system. There is no application fee to apply. Adams County reserves the right to request any additional information from the individual artist.
Selection Panel and Process
The Artist Selection Panel for the Riverdale Regional Park Water Tank Mural is made up of members of the Adams County Arts & Culture Commission, volunteer residents appointed by the Board of County Commissioners; Parks, Open Space & Cultural Arts staff, Riverdale Animal Shelter Staff, and community members.
The Selection Panel will review and rate applications and select finalists (3-5) for an in-person interview. Each finalist will be paid an honorarium of $500 for the submission and development of a detailed proposal specific to the Water Tank Mural, with an opportunity to hear more about the project to inform.
The panel will select the artist or artist team that best meets project requirements, based on the information contained in their response to the call-for-entry, proposal, and the information presented during their interview. The selection panel will then make a recommendation to the Parks, Open Space & Cultural Arts Department for final approval.
Evaluation Criteria
The Artist Selection Panel will individually rate each applicant on the following criteria.
- Work Samples
- Quality of past work; technical and aesthetic
- Fit of portfolio with project vision
- Statement of Interest
- The connection between the project and the artist's creative practice
- Help the artist selection panel understand why you are interested in this project specifically. Highlight how the project site, mural theme, or other elements of the project vision connect to your art practice.
- The connection between the project and the artist's creative practice
- Resume highlighting past projects of similar scope
- Relevant experience and demonstrated ability to successfully design, fabricate, administer public art murals of similar scope
Finalists
Finalists (3–5) selected using the above evaluation criteria will be awarded a $500 honorarium to complete a detailed proposal, with an opportunity to hear more about the project during a virtual finalist info session on the evening of May 28.
Finalist Project Specific Proposals, submitted to Cultural Arts via email, will include:
- Proof of your ability to obtain insurance meeting Adams County Standards
- Mural Design Concepts
- Detailed Execution Plan including approach to:
- Design
- Community engagement
- Project documentation and promotion
- Materials, site access, and installation
- Budget & timeline
Project Timeline (subject to change)
May 12, 2024: Applications Due at 11:59 pm MDT
May 24: Finalists notified
May 28: Finalist info session
June 20: Finalist Proposals due
June 25 & 26: Finalist Interviews
July 1: Project Awarded
July 1 – 15: Contracting
July 15 – August 15: design
August 15 – September 1: Installation plan finalized
September 1 – September 30: Site prep & installation
* Timeline subject to change.
Payment Schedule
15% upon generation of PO
20% upon approval of mural design
20% upon completion of community engagement
20% upon approval of site access and installation plan
25% upon final installation approval, receipt of all, project documentation files, and maintenance plan approval.
Legal Comments
The selected artist(s) will be required to enter a time-sensitive contract with Adams County and the Board of County Commissioners which will outline payment and installation schedules, including penalties for failure to meet agreed-upon deadlines, and insurance requirements. The Board of County Commissioners reserves the right to reject any or all submissions or applications and modify or terminate the process at any time, for any reason, with or without prior notice.
Procurement Process
This RFP complies with all policies and procedures set forth by the Adams County Board of County Commissioners. Address any questions or concerns about the process to:
Project Contact
Amy Smith, Cultural Arts Administrator
Parks, Open Space & Cultural Arts
9755 Henderson Road, Brighton, CO 80601
[email protected]
Available Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.– 4 p.m. MDT, excluding holidays.
