Denver Public Art Pre-Application Meeting: La Raza Park

Denver Public Art is hosting a virtual pre-application meeting for interested applicants on Wednesday, September 30th, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will cover project background and goals, and the application process for this Request for Qualifications (RFQ). Attendees will also receive information on CallForEntry.org through which artists may apply. This event will be hosted on Zoom. 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: Rosamond Park
Budget: Approximately $136,000.00 USD
Eligibility: Artists or Artist Teams residing in the United States
DEADLINE: October 15th, 2026, 11:59 P.M. MST

Introduction

Denver Public Art seeks to commission an artist or artist team to create public artworks for La Raza Park. The goal of the project is to commission an artist to create a site-responsive public artwork that reflects the identity, history, and aspirations of Northside Denver. The artwork is envisioned as a welcoming community anchor and “third space”—a place that inspires connection, invites people to gather and linger, and sparks conversation about the park, its cultural heritage, and the community’s future. The work should honor the land and the people who have shaped this place while offering a hopeful vision forward. A strong, authentic connection to Northside is central to the project, with the artwork serving as a memorable expression of local culture, pride, and belonging.

The commission amount for an artist or artist team is $136,000.00 USD.

A selection panel of community representatives, arts and culture 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 panel is seeking artists who work in mediums suitable for exterior spaces that complement the natural surroundings of the park and the architecture of the historical Kiosko (stone, metal, recycled materials, wood, etc.) for this project.

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 seamlessly integrated artwork(s) for those who visit the park. Artists who have not yet received a public art commission are encouraged to apply.

Goals:

• Create a sculptural artwork that is meaningfully rooted in the people, stories, cultural heritage, and lived experiences of Northside Denver. The work should convey a clear sense of local identity and contribute to community pride.
• Interpret the park’s history and the broader heritage of Northside Denver while also offering a hopeful and forward-looking vision. Artwork should create a meaningful connection between the community’s past and its evolving future.
• Establish a memorable visual and cultural focal point within the park—one that invites people to gather, linger, reflect, interact, and return. The artwork should contribute to the park’s role as a shared “third space” for the community.
• Develop an artwork that encourages curiosity, storytelling, learning, and dialogue about the park and the surrounding community. The work should provide opportunities for people of different ages and backgrounds to find personal or cultural connections to the site.
• The artwork should communicate its connection to the community and place in a way that is visually engaging and readily accessible to a broad public audience. While artists are encouraged to bring their own creative perspective, the work should avoid being so abstract or ambiguous that its relationship to the site is lost.
• The completed artwork should be visually compelling, warm, engaging, and inspiring. It should have the potential to become a recognizable feature of the park and a place where community members want to gather, take photographs, and share their experience.
  The artwork should be appropriate to the park’s physical and social context, durable within a public outdoor environment, and capable of remaining meaningful to the community over time.
• The artwork should be complimentary to and in conversation with existing artworks within the park.

Artists from Denver with strong ties to the Northside are strongly encouraged to apply.

Location:

Today, La Raza Park continues to function as a place for recreation, celebration, cultural expression, and community connection. Ceremonial danza, Día de los Muertos, La Raza Park Day, lowrider gatherings, memorials, and other events bring together generations of residents and visitors. Community members describe the park not simply through its individual events, but through its ability to bring people together and maintain connections between generations.

The park’s significance lies in this continuity. La Raza Park is a physical expression of the history of Denver’s Northside—its immigrant communities, cultural evolution, activism, artistic traditions, and enduring spirit of community. It is both a place to remember the past and a living space where culture continues to be created, shared, and carried forward. Its designation recognizes the park as a source of community pride and cultural understanding and as an important site associated with the social movements that shaped Northside Denver.

The selection panel has chosen two possible locations on the Northwest and Southwest corners of the park where the artwork could be located.

Media & Materials:

The selection panel is looking to see sculptural works of diverse mediums.

Maintenance & Durability & Accessibility

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. Awarded contracts will be reviewed by the City 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 timeframe.

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

Read the full RFQ and submit your application for this project through CaFE: https://opportunities.wearecreativewest.org/opportunity/18003/CAFE

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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.