Introduction  

Denver Public Art seeks to commission an artist or artist team to create original public artwork(s) for 5280 Trail at Acoma Street. An 8-member selection panel of community representatives, arts and design professionals and civic leaders has been assembled to identify art opportunities and to select and recommend an artist or artist team for this project. The selection panel has identified a location for potential artworks for the allocated total budget of approximately USD $110,000.00.  

Denver Public Art will host a virtual pre-application meeting on Wednesday, June 3rd, 5:30-6:30 p.m. (MST) for interested applicants. The meeting will cover project background and goals, as well as the application process for this Request for Qualification (RFQ). Attendees will also get information on CallForEntry.org, through which artists may apply. This event will be hosted on Zoom. Interested applicants are asked to register to get information on how to join prior to the event. If you cannot attend, a recording will be available on the Denver Arts & Venues YouTube channel.

Land Acknowledgement 

We acknowledge that the land Denver’s Public Art Collection occupies – – land where we stand, live, work and learn – – is the traditional territory of the Ute, Cheyenne and Arapaho Peoples. We also recognize the 48 contemporary tribal nations that are historically tied to the lands that make up the state of Colorado. Our nation was founded upon and continues to enact exclusions and erasures of Indigenous Peoples. May this acknowledgement demonstrate a commitment to dismantling ongoing legacies of oppression and inequities, as we intentionally honor and celebrate the Indigenous communities in our city and express our gratitude for their ongoing and significant contributions. Let’s not forget that this land was theirs long before we made it ours. 

Acoma Street Project 

The Acoma (pronounced AH-koh-mah) Street public art project is supported by the RISE Denver Bond Program, a voter-approved initiative passed in 2021 to fund new and improved amenities for Denver residents. Led by the Department of Transportation & Infrastructure (DOTI), the Acoma Street project follows aspects of the Golden Triangle Neighborhood Plan and the 5280 Trail Vision Plan and Design Guidelines. Planned improvements include dedicated pathways for bicyclists, pedestrians, and other non-car users, as well as community gathering spaces, activity areas, enhanced lighting, and stronger connections between surrounding neighborhoods, museums, and civic spaces. Design is nearing completion, with construction anticipated to begin in Fall 2026. 

5280 Trail Vision  

The 5280 Trail is a catalytic infrastructure and placemaking initiative that will create a 5.280-mile loop connecting Denver’s neighborhoods, cultural institutions, civic spaces, and local destinations through a cohesive linear park system. Rooted in principles of accessibility, sustainability, and community connection, the trail reimagines downtown streets as safe, inviting, and inclusive corridors for pedestrians and cyclists while adapting to the unique conditions and character of each neighborhood. 

The trail is composed of both “places” and “links.” Places are designed to celebrate neighborhood identity by elevating urban design and showcasing local culture, history, architecture, landmarks, and opportunities for community gathering through parks, grand boulevards, and festival streets. The Bond-funded project on Acoma Street is considered a “place” within this broader system. Links connect these destinations through cohesive design elements and materials that transform streets into connected public spaces and linear park experiences. 

Throughout the corridor, the 5280 Trail integrates public art, green space, and opportunities for social interaction as part of a long-term investment in Denver’s urban fabric. The initiative aims to strengthen neighborhood connectivity, support local economies, and foster a more vibrant and welcoming experience for residents and visitors alike. Artists are strongly encouraged to review the Downtown Denver Partnership’s 5280 Trail: A Reason to Start Now story map for additional project background and context. 

Golden Triangle Neighborhood 

The Golden Triangle is a vibrant and evolving neighborhood known for its rich cultural landscape and creative energy. Just south of Civic Center and the civic heart of Denver, the area is home to a mix of museums including the Denver Art Museum and History Colorado, galleries, public art, and design-focused businesses, alongside a growing residential community. Over time, the neighborhood has transformed from a primarily industrial area into a dynamic urban environment that balances historic character with contemporary development. It is an exciting time for Golden Triangle! 

Goals, Site, Media & Materials 

The selection panel members have set forth goals and parameters for this public art project with the hope of creating unique and inspiring works of art for the communities that will interact with the 5280 Trail at Acoma Street Segment. 

Goals: 

• Artwork should be immersive and draw visitors from Denver Art Museum and cultural district toward the Golden Triangle neighborhood.   

• Artwork should draw inspiration from the surrounding Golden Triangle neighborhood and celebrate the 5280 Trail as a vibrant public space. 

• Artwork should further place-making goals of the 5280 Trail. This may include incorporating interactive elements while being mindful of nearby businesses and residential areas.  

• As the inaugural public art project on the 5280 Trail, artworks will set the standard for future activations. Artists are expected to meet specific deadlines and strive to time installation with substantial completion of the Acoma segment.

Site: 

The selection panel has identified potential sites throughout the project area. All sites will require the selected artist or artist teams to coordinate and communicate closely with the Design Team. Selected finalists will have the opportunity to meet with the art selection panel, Denver Public Art staff, Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) to ask specific questions about the preferred sites. 

Media & Materials: 

Artworks could be created using diverse media, including but not limited to sculptural artworks. Durability and ease of maintenance are important at these locations. The selection panel is open to artwork in media and materials suitable for outdoor display. 

Maintenance & Durability  

This artwork will become a permanent addition to the Denver Public Art collection. All applicants must consider the issues of long-term conservation and maintenance of public art, along with time and budget. These projects are in the public realm and will be exposed to physical stresses as well as being 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. Artist proposals awarded contracts will be reviewed by the City and County of Denver’s Public Art Committee to ensure conformity with city standards of maintenance and durability as well as Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. All finalists are expected to stay on budget and to complete work in an approved time frame. 

Who May Apply 

This project is open to artists residing in the United States. Denver Arts & Venues is committed to building a public art collection that represents a broad diversity of artists and encourages applicants from historically marginalized and underrepresented communities including artists who identify as Black, Indigenous, Latino/x, People of Color (BILPOC), people with disabilities, and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersexual, asexual, Two-Spirit+ (LGBTQIA2S+) communities. Denver Arts & Venues also encourages applicants at various stages in their career and applicants practicing a variety of artistic disciplines. 

Can a team 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 no more than one page per team member. 

Applying for these opportunities 

In response to this RFQ, applicants will be asked to submit the following items via www.callforentry.org (CaFÉ™).  

1. Six digital images of past work 
2. Résumé  
3. Statement of interest no longer than 2,000 characters

From these applications, the selection panel will choose three to five finalists who will create site-specific proposals and be interviewed in person or virtually. Artists will be paid an honorarium for this work. 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 Arts & Venues Public Art Program staff can guide you in filling out this form.  

Based on the interview and proposal, an artist or artist team will be selected for this commission. The selected artist or artist team will work with Denver Public Art staff and the Denver Fire Department 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. The Executive Order requires, among other things, the collection of certain information regarding the practices of the City’s contractors and consultants toward diversity and inclusiveness and encourages/requires City agencies to include diversity and inclusiveness policies in selection criteria in solicitations for City services or goods when legally permitted. Diversity and Inclusiveness means inviting values, perspectives and contributions of people from diverse backgrounds, and integrating diversity into 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 and 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. 

Budget 

The budget for this commission is approximately USD $110,000.00 which will be allocated to the artist/team selected. These funds come from the City and County of Denver’s 1 Percent for Public Art Ordinance resulting from the 5280 Trail at Acoma Street project. This contract amount is inclusive of all costs associated with the project, including but not limited to: the artist’s design fee, other consultation fees such as structural engineering, insurance (including Colorado Workers Compensation), tools, materials, fabrication, transportation, installation, any building or site modification required, travel to and from the site, per diem expenses, project documentation, contingency to cover unexpected expenses and any other costs. For all work performed on city property, prevailing wage requirements will be applied. 

Timeline 

(Except for the online application deadline, the timeline is subject to adjustments) 

• Monday, June 15th, 2026; 11:59 P.M. MST | Deadline for entry (via CaFÉ™ system)  
• Thursday, July 9th, 2026 | Finalists Selected and Notified 
• Thursday, July 9th, 2026 | Rejected Artists Notified 
• *Thursday, July 16th; 8:30 A.M. MST | Selected Finalists Meet Community Members 
• * Thursday, July 16th; 9:30 A.M. MST | Selected Finalists Meet Design Team  
• *Friday, July 17th, 12:00 P.M. MST | Site Visit for Finalists 
• *Monday, August 10th, 2026 | Artist 1:1s 
• *Thursday, August 13th, 2026 | Finalist Presentations 
• September 2026 | Artist Selection and Notification 
• September/October 2026 | Contracting 

*As of this writing, selected finalists must be available for these scheduled dates and times.

Project Selection Panel 

According to Denver’s Public Art policy, the project selection panel plays an active role in the acquisition of public art for the City and County of Denver. The 5280 Trail at Acoma Street art selection panel is comprised of 8 voting members and additional non-voting advisors. The selection panel is responsible for reviewing the site, establishing criteria for a request for qualifications, reviewing applications, selecting and interviewing finalists and finally for selecting an artist or artist team for the commission.   

Selection Process 

1. Three to five artists/artist teams will be selected as finalists. Those selected will receive specific information regarding the sites and have the opportunity to meet with community members from the art selection panel, Denver Public Art Program staff, and the Department of Transportation & Infrastructure (DOTI). The finalists will receive an honorarium to prepare a proposal and present it in person or virtually.  
2. The selection panel will review the proposals, interview the finalists, and recommend an artist/artist team for the commission.  
3. 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. 

Materials to be Submitted 

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

All materials must be submitted online, via the CaFÉ™ website (www.callforentry.org). There is no application fee to apply or to use the CaFÉ™ online application system. 

Digital Images—To be considered for this project, the applicant must electronically submit six digital images of previously completed artworks through the online CaFÉ™ system. Artists who wish to submit kinetic, sound or media works must submit a complete CaFÉ™ application and will have the opportunity to upload one video file.  

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/. 

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, s/he/they may call 720-865-5576 to make arrangements to use a computer at Denver Arts & Venues.

To request this RFQ in an alternate format (such as Braille, large print, or accessible electronic format) please contact DisabilityAccess@denvergov.org. To request this RFQ in a different language, please contact Meg Pursell.

Statement of Interest—Please submit a brief statement (2,000-character maximum) outlining the following: 

• Your interest in the 5280 Trail at Acoma Street project 

• Your design approach to this project 

• Please also include information on your experience working with diverse communities and stakeholders 

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 no more than one page per team member. 

Survey – Applicants will also be required to fill out a short demographic survey that will be sent to the email on file from the CaFÉ™ application. 

References – Applicants who are selected to be finalists will be required to provide three professional references. 

Please direct all questions about the project to:
Meg Pursell, Collections & Special Projects Manager, meg.pursell@denvergov.org