Denver Public Art Pre-Application Meeting: Denver Performing Arts Complex

Learn more about an RFQ to create a public artwork for the Denver Performing Arts Complex.

Denver Public Art is hosting a virtual pre-application meeting for interested applicants on Thursday, March 26, at 5:30 p.m. (MST) via MS Teams. The meeting will cover project background and goals, and the application process for this Request for Qualifications (RFQ). Attendees will also receive information via CallForEntry.org, through which artists may apply. Interested applicants are asked to register to receive 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.

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Public Art Project: Denver Performing Arts Complex

Budget: Approximately $900,000 USD

Eligibility: Artists or Artist Teams residing in the United States and internationally

DEADLINE: Monday, April 13, 11:59 PM MST

Introduction

Denver Public Art seeks to commission an artist or artist team to create original public artwork for the Denver Performing Arts Complex at 1400 Curtis Street, Denver, CO. The commission will activate the glass-enclosed galleria, an iconic space designed in 1977 by architects George Hoover and Karl Berg of Muchow Associates and inspired by Milan’s 19th-century Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

The galleria’s glass roof rises approximately 80 feet (24 meters) and extends nearly 1,000 feet (308 meters). The artwork must engage the space both day and night, with sculptural elements and lighting active throughout the galleria; any light-based elements must include multiple activation phases—such as programmed sequences, timed transitions, or shifting states—to create an evolving experience over time. The selection panel hopes the artwork will celebrate the spirit of Denver's performing arts and invites artists to create something unexpected and dynamic for the complex's guests and visitors. The selected artist or team must complete and install the artwork by the end of 2027.

Goals, Site, Media & Materials

The selection panel seeks suspended sculptural artworks that are active both day and night and that span and activate the steel-and-glass-enclosed Galleria at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. The artwork should celebrate Denver’s performing arts and introduce an unexpected presence that is dynamic and compelling both day and night.

• Welcome and inclusion: The artwork should feel inviting and accessible to a broad range of audiences and communities.
• Enhance the Arts Complex experience: The work should enrich the arrival, circulation, and gathering experience for both ticketed patrons and daily users, extending the energy of performances into shared public space through light, motion, and/or atmosphere.
• Strong day and night presence: The artwork should read as a sculptural work in daylight and shift after dark through illumination, remaining legible and engaging throughout the day and evening.
• Rooted in Denver: Artists are encouraged to respond to Denver’s character and the downtown arts ecosystem, considering how the Arts Complex connects to the city’s cultural life and the surrounding public realm.
• Completion deadline: The artwork must be fully installed and operationalby the end of 2027.

Media & Materials

The selection panel is open to artwork in all media and materials suitable for outdoor display. Durability and ease of maintenance are important for the site.

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Learn more about these RFQs and other upcoming Denver Public Art opportunities at DenverPublicArt.org/For-Artists/#opportunities.

Submit your application for this project through CaFE: https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=17157

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For Interpretation Services: DAVLanguageAccess@denvergov.org

For Sign Language Interpreter or Cart Services: DAVLanguageAccess@denvergov.org

For Other Disability Accommodations: DisabilityAccess@Denvergov.org

Please contact us at least five business days before the event for any special needs.