Public Art Project: 48th Avenue Center
Budget: Approximately $66,000.00 USD
Eligibility: Artists or Artist Teams residing in the United States
DEADLINE: Monday, March 16, 2025, 11:59 P.M. MST

Goals:

• Artwork should be welcoming, comforting, colorful, and convey a sense of safety. The work should be empowering and inspire positive forward momentum.
• Artworks should engage and help share the stories of people experiencing homelessness and provide a sense of dignity to those seeking support. Collective storytelling and building confidence in participants are critical for a successful outcome. Artists chosen as finalists, may take advantage of the Denver Rescue Mission’s existing art class with residents.
• Artwork should also be culturally relevant. While residents will be the key audience, it is equally important that any artistic representation be sensitive to the neighborhood’s heritage and legacy.
• Artists are encouraged to consider trauma-informed design strategies that support mental health through color, pattern and subject matter. Trauma-informed design is the practice of combining trauma-informed care with the design process. Finalists will receive resources to support their proposal development.
• The panel is especially interested in inviting artists to apply who have lived experience with homelessness or have worked meaningfully with communities experiencing homelessness.
• The panel also welcomes artists who have a connection to the Park Hill neighborhood to apply.

Public Art Project: 47th and Telluride Park
Budget: Approximately $90,000.00 USD
Eligibility: Artists or Artist Teams residing in the United States
DEADLINE: Monday, March 16th, 2026, 11:59 P.M. MST

Goals:

• The panel strongly encourages artists who have a connection to Denver to apply.
• Artworks should be colorful, fun, interactive and engaging.
• Artworks should celebrate and be inclusive to all park visitors and families.
• Artworks should and help amplify the stories of the area in a culturally relevant way. It is imperative that any artistic representation accurately reflect the community’s heritage and narratives, honoring its past and present contributions.
• Artists should possess excellent group facilitation skills and be enthusiastic about working with nearby community members, particularly elders and youth, to finalize their designs. Artists will be expected to lead activities that encourage the public to take ownership of the work and protect it long-term.

Have you ever looked at the Big Blue Bear or the blue Mustang at the airport and wondered, “Who decided to put that there?” Answer: a selection panel made up of community members just like you!

The Public Art Program is seeking interested community members, artists, and arts professionals who live or work in Denver to be involved in this exciting process*.

Each Selection Panel is comprised of a minimum of eight voting members with additional members added depending on the scope of the project. It is the role of the voting panelists to make decisions as a group concerning the final selection of the artist or artist team.

Denver Arts & Venues is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion in all our programs, initiatives, and processes. For this reason, we request demographic information as it is important that we ensure a diversity of voices are represented in our programs and decision-making committees. We value your time and offer an honorarium to our participants (excluding City employees and representatives from the Commission on Cultural Affairs). Thank you for sharing information about yourself.

*Participation in this survey does not guarantee you will be asked to serve on a selection panel.

• Sample Artist Contract
• Sample Art Budget
• Prevailing Wage Overview
• Helpful Websites for Artists
• Funding Sources for Individual Artists
• Public Art Program Guidelines for City Managers