Plains Conservation Center - Prairie Meander - Aurora, CO

Contact InformationAurora Library and Cultural ServicesContact Email: [email protected] Phone: 303-739-6744

Requirement OverviewLocation Eligibility Type: UnspecifiedEligible Applicant Types: ArtistSubmission Limit: 1Media RequirementsImages | Min: 8, Max: 10Audio | Min: 0, Max: 0Video | Min: 0, Max: 2Total | Min: 8, Max: 10

Opportunity SummaryTHE PROJECTThe City of Aurora, Colorado Art in Public Places Program seeks qualifications from Indigenous artists for the fourth of five public art commissions planned for the Plains Conservation Center. This opportunity calls for a three-dimensional artwork for the Prairie Meander project that will explore the connections between people, land, ecology, history, and movement through the prairie landscape. The selected artwork will be integrated into the Plains Conservation Center site, creating an opportunity for a meaningful sculptural experience that engages visitors as they move through and explore the landscape.

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General InformationBackgroundThe City of Aurora, Colorado Art in Public Places Program seeks qualifications from Indigenous artists for the fourth of five public art commissions planned for the Plains Conservation Center.The City of Aurora is seeking a three-dimensional artwork for the Prairie Meander project at the Plains Conservation Center. The selected artwork will provide an opportunity for visitors to engage with the prairie landscape and consider the relationships between land, people, ecology, history, and movement through the site.The Plains Conservation Center is a place where visitors can learn about the prairie landscape, its ecology and wildlife, and the people and communities connected to the plains. The site itself has a rich history, including its role as a place of conservation, environmental education, cultural interpretation, and community engagement. The selected artwork should contribute to this experience by helping visitors consider the many layers of history held within the land and the Center.The Prairie Meander project invites artists to consider the prairie as both a physical landscape and a place shaped by generations of people, communities, wildlife, and environmental change. Artists may explore ideas of movement, pathways, migration, stewardship, interconnectedness, and the ways people experience and move through the prairie.Artists are encouraged to explore these ideas through their own perspectives and artistic practices. The artwork does not need to provide a literal representation of the prairie or its history. Contemporary and meaningful interpretations that reflect the artist's individual perspective, cultural knowledge, and artistic practice are encouraged.The selected artwork should:Engage meaningfully with the character and significance of the shortgrass prairie landscape.Explore connections between land, people, ecology, history, and place.Consider ideas of movement, pathways, migration, connection, or the experience of moving through the landscape.Contribute to the educational and interpretive mission of the Plains Conservation Center.Create a meaningful and memorable experience for visitors.Respond thoughtfully to the specific site and surrounding natural environment.Reflect the artist's unique perspective, cultural knowledge, and artistic practice.Contribute to the City of Aurora's diverse and dynamic public art collection.Site InformationThe Prairie Meander project is located within the Plains Conservation Center, a 1,100-acre nature preserve in southeastern Aurora. The site protects one of Colorado’s remaining shortgrass prairie ecosystems and provided opportunities for environmental education, cultural interpretation, wildlife observation, and outdoor recreation.The artwork should respond to its location within this larger prairie landscape and consider how visitors encounter the work as they move through the Plains Conservation Center.Artists should consider:The surrounding shortgrass prairie landscape and natural environment.How the artwork will be experienced by visitors moving through the site.The relationship between the artwork and the surrounding landscape.Opportunities for the artwork to create a sense of place or connection.The ecological and environmental significance of the Plains Conservation Center.The history and evolution of the Plains Conservation Center.The relationship between people, wildlife, and the prairie landscape.How the artwork can complement, rather than compete with, existing site interpretation and signage.Durability, maintenance, and long-term stewardship of the artwork.MaterialsMaterials must be durable and appropriate for exterior applications within the Front Range climate of Colorado. Annually, temperatures range from sub-zero to over 100 degrees, and temperatures can span more than 40 degrees within a day, or even a few hours. Snow, hail, wind, and extreme sun are all environmental issues to contend with when proposing exterior art projects at this elevation and climate.Artists should propose materials and construction methods appropriate for long-term outdoor installation and consider durability, maintenance, conservation, structural integrity, colorfastness, and expected longevity.The selected artwork must be designed to withstand the environmental conditions of the Plains Conservation Center and must meet applicable requirements for public safety and structural stability.BACKGROUNDPlains Conservation CenterThe Plains Conservation Center is a 1,100-acre nature preserve owned and operated by the City of Aurora Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department. Located in southeastern Aurora, the center protects one of Colorado's remaining shortgrass prairie ecosystems and provides opportunities for environmental education, cultural interpretation, wildlife observation, and outdoor recreation.The site serves as a living classroom where visitors can explore the interconnected stories of the