Permanent Outdoor Sculpture for Carson Park in Greenwood Village, CO. REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

The City of Greenwood Village, in partnership with the Greenwood Village Arts & Humanities Council (GVAHC), invites qualified artists or artist teams to submit proposals for a permanent, site-specific outdoor sculpture(s) to be integrated into the improvement corridor at Carson Park to include a new Pavilion. 

This commission celebrates the City’s 75th Anniversary and seeks to honor the site’s agricultural heritage, natural setting, and the civic identity of Greenwood Village. 

Budget: $68,000.

Project Overview 

The City of Greenwood Village, in partnership with the Greenwood Village Arts & Humanities Council (GVAHC), invites qualified artists or artist teams to submit proposals for a permanent, site-specific outdoor sculpture(s) to be integrated into the improvement corridor at Carson Park to include a new Pavilion. 

This commission celebrates the City’s 75th Anniversary and seeks to honor the site’s agricultural heritage, natural setting, and the civic identity of Greenwood Village. 

Budget: $68,000. 

The total project budget is $68,000, which must cover all costs associated with the sculpture’s design, engineering, fabrication, transportation, and installation, including but not limited to:

• Artist fees 

• Design and engineering (if required) 

• Fabrication and materials 

• Transportation and delivery

 • Installation and equipment 

• Site preparation and coordination with City departments 

• Insurance and documentation 

• Travel, lodging, and per diem (if applicable)

 Budget Note: This commission is intended to result in a small-scale outdoor sculpture(s) appropriate to the site and budget. 

Site Description 

Carson Park is located directly north of Greenwood Village City Hall at 6060 S. Quebec Street and will feature a pavilion, natural amphitheater, and pedestrian areas framed by mountain and water views. The sculpture(s) will serve as a focal point within the park, enhancing the visitor experience without impeding movement, sightlines, or ADA access. 

A site plan, elevations, and scaled drawings for the larger project will be provided to finalists. Underlying soil conditions and underground utility information are also available. 

Project Goals 

The proposed artwork should: 

• Reflect the heritage of Carson Park as a family farm and its evolution into a civic gathering place. 

• Be timeless, engaging, and accessible to all. 

• Enhance the aesthetic and experiential quality of the park without obstructing sightlines or pedestrian flow. 

• Serve as a landmark and a point of community identity and pride. 

• Be fabricated from durable, low-maintenance materials appropriate for Colorado’s climate. 

Project Timeline 

• December 1, 2025 – CaFÉ call opens 

• January 30, 2026 – Deadline to submit questions 

• February 13, 2026 – Submissions due on CaFÉ 

• March 20, 2026 – Finalists notified 

• April 16, 2026 – Finalist presentations to GVAHC 

• May 4, 2026 – GVAHC artist selection update to City Council 

• June 22-26, 2026 - Public input meeting 

• July 6, 2026 - City Council approval of concept 

• July 7-10, 2026 - Execution of artist agreement and first payment 

• Spring 2027 – Installation completed and final payment. Artists will be notified when the site becomes available for walkthroughs. 

Submission Requirements (via CaFÉ) 

To streamline the process, no Letter of Intent is required. 

Instead, applicants will answer brief project-interest questions through CaFÉ. Applicants must submit: 

1. Artist Statement Responses (entered directly in CaFÉ) 

• Why are you interested in creating a sculpture for Carson Park?
• Briefly describe your approach to site-specific outdoor sculpture.

2. Résumé or CV 

• Up to 2 pages per team member

3. Work Samples 

• 6–10 images of relevant past work
• Image list including title, year, materials, dimensions, budget, and project location

4. References 

• Contact information for 2–3 past clients or project partners

Selection Process 

A panel of GVAHC representatives, City staff, and community stakeholders will review all submissions. 

Evaluation criteria include: 

• Artistic excellence and originality 

• Relevance to the site and context 

• Feasibility within budget and timeline 

• Durability, safety, and maintenance practicality 

• Community resonance and alignment with project goals 

Up to three finalists will be selected and invited to develop a site-specific proposal. Each finalist will receive a $1,000 honorarium. 

The selected artist(s) will be awarded the full commission for fabricating and installing the completed artwork. 

The selected artist will be awarded the $68,000 commission to design, fabricate, and install the final sculpture.

Contract:

Below is an example of the contract between the Artist and the City of Greenwood Village:

1. Scope of the Work. The Artist must furnish all the materials and perform all the work. The Artist’s work must be of high quality, in compliance with generally accepted standards of workmanship, and in conformity with this Agreement.

2. Time of Completion. The City will issue a Notice to Proceed. The artist must begin the Project promptly upon receipt of the Notice to Proceed and must fully complete the Project by Spring 2027. Any extensions of this time limit must be agreed upon in writing by the parties. The City will grant the Artist a reasonable extension of time if there is a delay on the part of the City in performing its obligations under this Agreement or if conditions beyond the Artist’s control or Acts of God render timely performance of the Artist’s services impossible.

3. Capital Project Management Control System. To ensure the Project remains within its authorized scope and schedule, the Artist must provide an approximate schedule for the completion of all unit work items covered by the Agreement. The schedule must indicate the anticipated percentage completion of each unit work item for each week for the duration of the work. The Artist must submit the initial schedule to the City prior to beginning the work.

4. City Representative. On or before the date the City issues its Notice to Proceed, the City will designate its project representative who will make all necessary and proper decisions with reference

to the Project within the scope of his or her authority. The Artist must direct all requests for contract interpretations, change orders, or other clarification or instructions to the City representative.

5. Changes to Scope of Work.

Changes by Artist. The Artist cannot change the Project specifications and drawings without advance written approval from the City.

B. Changes by the City. The City may request changes in the design and construction of the

Project through written Change Order Requests. The Artist and the City will then negotiate in good faith to reach an agreement on any necessary changes in price or scheduling requirements. Once the parties have reached an agreement, the City will issue a written Change Order documenting the agreed-upon terms. The Artist must not proceed with work related to the requested change until the City issues the Change Order.

6. Formal Acceptance and Ownership of the Project. The Artist must notify the City when the Project is fully installed and complete. No more than thirty (30) days after receiving such notice, the City will provide the Artist a written response, informing the Artist that either:

(1) The City agrees that the Project is fully installed and is completely consistent with the terms of this Agreement, all other related work is completed in accordance with this Agreement, and the City formally accepts the Project as completed (“Letter of Acceptance”); or

(2) The City does not consider the Project to be completed due to unresolved issues or defects that remain, and describes the outstanding issues or defects that the Artist must then cure before the City will issue a Letter of Acceptance. The Project is not finally complete for purposes of this Agreement until the City has issued a Letter of Acceptance. Once the City has issued a Letter of Acceptance, the City will be the sole owner of the Project, and the Artist will have no further obligations under this Agreement, except as set forth in paragraphs 8, 9, 12, and 26.

7. Ownership of Works Created.

A. Assignment of Copyright. The Artist hereby assigns, transfers, and conveys to the City all right, title and interest in and to the Project together with the copyright therein and the right to secure copyright registration therefore, in accordance with Sections 101, 204, and 205 of Title 17 of the United States Code, the Copyright Law of the United States. This assignment, transfer and conveyance includes, without limitation, any and all features, sections, and components of the Project, any and all works derived therefrom, the United States and worldwide copyrights therein, and any renewals or extensions thereof, and any and all other rights that the Artist now has or to which the Artist may become entitled under existing or subsequently enacted federal, state, or foreign laws, including, but not limited to the following rights: to reproduce, publish, and display the Project publicly, to prepare derivative works of and from the Project, to combine the Project with other materials, and to otherwise exploit and control the use of the Project. As additional consideration for this assignment, the City agrees that all reproductions of the Project by the City shall credit the Artist.

B. License Back to Artist of Certain Rights. The City hereby grants to Artist the following rights in and to the Project: the non-exclusive right to make two-dimensional reproductions of the Project for any purpose, provided that any such reproduction clearly states the location of the Project, acknowledges the City and the Art in Public Places Program, and contains a copyright notice. Except for publicity pieces, the Artist must not knowingly permit others to make reproductions of the Project for commercial purposes without the written permission of the City.

C. Rights under the Visual Artists’ Rights Act. To the extent the uses or removal of the Project under this Contract affect any rights Artist may have under the provisions of federal or state law, including the 1990 Visual Artists’ Rights Act, the Artist hereby knowingly waives any rights of preservation of the Project provided by those laws.

8. Guarantee of Workmanship and Material. For a period of three (3) years from the date of the City's Letter of Acceptance, Artist agrees to replace or correct any material defects in the Project, whether caused by defects in the design, workmanship or materials used in the Project. If Artist fails to replace or correct any such defects, or to make arrangements to do so within a reasonable time satisfactory to the City, the City has the right to arrange for such replacement or correction, and Artist must reimburse the City for the costs of any such replacement or correction. If the City asks the Artist to repair damage caused to the Project by vandalism, collision, extreme environmental conditions, or other unforeseeable causes, the City will reimburse the Artist for reasonable material and labor costs for such repairs, except to the extent Such damage is due to a defect in design, workmanship, or materials used in the Project.

9. Maintenance. The artist must provide the city with written instructions for the maintenance of the Project, including detailed information on the operation, care, maintenance, and repair of the Project, and at least eight digital images depicting the completed Project from different angles. The Artist also agrees to provide continuing advice to the City regarding the operation, care, maintenance, and repair of the Project at no charge to the City, unless otherwise agreed to by both parties in writing.

10. Contract Sum. The City will pay the Artist for the performance of this Contract, subject to additions and deletions provided herein, the sum of $68,000 on the following schedule:

A. $34,000 upon full execution of this Agreement.

B. $34,000 or any remaining amounts due under this Agreement, upon the City's final approval and acceptance of the Project as complete by issuance of a Letter of Acceptance.

The city will not make the final payment until it has received satisfactory maintenance instructions and photographs as described in Section 9 and a lien waiver from the Artist in substantially the form shown in Exhibit “B”, and comparable lien waivers from any and all subcontractors that have performed work or provided materials in connection with the Project.

11. Failure to Complete. If the Artist becomes ill, dies, or is otherwise unable or unwilling to complete the Project in accordance with the Agreement, any work already done on the Project will be the City’s property. The city will be entitled to withhold any sums not yet paid to the Artist and may use any such sums toward completion of the Project in any manner the City deems appropriate.

12. Project as Unique. The Artist represents and warrants that the Project is artistically unique and agrees not to create or be involved in creating an identical or substantially similar artwork within 100 miles of Greenwood Village, Colorado.

13. Liquidated Damages. The parties agree that the City will suffer certain unspecified damage if the Project is not completed within the time set forth above, as adjusted for any delays agreed to by the parties pursuant to Section 2 above. In recognition of the difficulty of ascertaining the City's actual damage, the parties agree that liquidated damages are appropriate

14. Governing Law. This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Colorado.

15. Notice. Any notice or other communication given by either party to the other related to this Agreement must be hand delivered; sent by a commercial carrier; or sent by mail, addressed to the party at its address as set forth below. The notice or other communication will be effective on the date it is delivered or on the third business day after being sent, whichever comes first.

16. Termination/Default.

A. Termination. The City may terminate this Agreement on no less than seven (7) days' written notice to the Artist. In such an event, the City will compensate the Artist for all services performed to the date the Artist receives the notice of termination, together with reasonable expenses then due, unless the parties agree otherwise in writing.

B. Default. Each term and condition of this Agreement is deemed to be a material element of this Agreement. If either party fails or refuses to perform under the terms of this Agreement, it may be declared in default. If the Artist defaults or neglects to carry out the work in accordance with this Agreement, the City may elect to make good such deficiencies and charge the Artist therefor.

C. Remedies Upon Default. If one party declares the other in default of this Agreement and performance is possible within the completion time established herein, the defaulting party has a period of five (5) days within which to cure the default. If the defaulting party fails to correct the default (or timely performance is not possible), the party declaring default may elect to: (1) immediately terminate the Agreement; (2) treat the Agreement as continuing and require specific performance; and/or (3) avail itself of any other remedy at law or equity. If either party elects to terminate the agreement for default, termination will be effective upon the mailing of written notice of termination by the terminating party to the defaulting party.

17. Assignment. The Artist understands that the City enters into this Agreement based on the Artist's special abilities and that the City considers this Agreement a personal services agreement. Accordingly, the Artist must neither assign any responsibilities nor delegate any duties arising under this Agreement without the City's prior written consent.

18. Artist -- Independent Agent. The Artist performs all work under this Agreement as an independent agent and is not an agent of the city, nor are the Artist's Subcontractors or employees subagents of the city.

19. License and Business. The Artist must hold, in the Artist's name, all necessary licenses and permits to perform the work. The Artist must have full authority to do business in the State of Colorado and have a designated place of business for making and accepting communications with or from the City. The Artist must maintain a current address and telephone number with the City throughout the term of this Agreement.

20. Superintendence. Before starting work, the Artist must designate an authorized representative who has full authority to represent and act on behalf of the Artist. The Artist must keep competent supervisory personnel on the work during its progress and provide efficient supervision of the work, using the Artist’s best skill and attention. The Artist is solely responsible for all construction means, methods, techniques, and procedures, providing adequate safety precautions and coordinating all portions of the work.

21. Employees. The Artist must employ only competent, skillful workers to do the work. Whenever any person employed by the Artist appears to be incompetent or acts in a disorderly or improper manner, the Artist must promptly remove such person from work.

22. Subcontractors. The Artist may use subcontractors to complete the fabrication,

transportation and/or installation of the Project, under the Artist’s direction and supervision. The Artist is as fully responsible to the city for the acts and omissions of Artist’s subcontractors and of people either directly or indirectly employed by them as for the acts and omissions of people directly employed by Artist. Nothing in the contract documents creates any contractual relationship between any subcontractor and the City, except to the extent the City is indemnified or insured through requirements imposed upon said subcontractor. If subcontractors are used, the City may, in its discretion, require any such subcontractors to submit lien waivers in a form reasonably acceptable to the City prior to final payment to the Artist.

23. Prosecution of the Work. The time of beginning, rate of progress, and time of completion of the work are the essence of this Agreement. The Artist must do the work at such time, and in such order, as will result in successful completion of the Project during the time specified in the Agreement and the approved construction schedule. The Artist must furnish tools and equipment for the Project in sufficient quantities and of a capacity and type that will safely perform the work specified without delay in the progress of the work.

24. Safety. The Artist is solely responsible for maintaining a safe work area and protecting the safety and welfare of the Artist’s employees and subcontractors, and the public, including, without limitation, area residents, motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians, and children, from work area hazards. The artist must provide all work-area safety control devices at the Artist’s cost, including, for example, barricades and safety fences around excavations and drop-offs. The Artist’s safety precautions must comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations.

25. Work and Property. The Artist must always use best efforts to safely guard the Project, the City's property and adjacent property, including underground utilities, from damage, injury or loss in connection with the Project. The Artist must provide and maintain all passageways, guard fences, lights, and other facilities required for property protection by state or municipal laws and regulations, and location conditions. The Artist must protect the Project and related materials from damage due to the nature of the work, the elements, carelessness of the Artist, or from any foreseeable cause whatever until the completion and acceptance of the Project by the City. The Artist assumes all risk of loss or damage arising out of the nature of the work to be done under this Agreement, or from any unforeseen obstructions or defects which may be encountered in the prosecution of the work, or from the action of the elements or other damage, except damage proximately caused by the City, its employees, agents or other contractors, until final acceptance of the Project by the City

26. Indemnity. The Artist agrees to indemnify and save harmless the City against any and all damages to property or injuries to or death of any person or persons arising from its performance of this Contract, including property and employees or agents of the City and shall defend, indemnify and save harmless the City from any and all claims, demands, suits, actions or proceedings of any kind or nature, including without limitation Worker's Compensation claims, of or by anyone whomsoever in any way resulting from or arising out of the Artist's operations in connection with this Contract, including operations of sub-contractors and acts or admissions of employees or agents of the Artists or its sub-contractor.

27. Insurance. The Artist agrees to procure and maintain in force during the terms of this Contract, at its own cost, professional/commercial liability insurance in the amount of $1,000,000. The City requires that all policies of insurance be written on a primary basis, non-contributory with any other insurance coverage and/or self-insurance carried by the City.

Eligibility 

• Open to professional artists or artist teams residing in Colorado. 

• Experience with public art and permanent outdoor installations is preferred.