Plains Conservation Center - Prairie Roots Educational Center - Aurora, CO

THE PROJECT

The City of Aurora, Colorado Art in Public Places Program seeks qualifications from Indigenous artists for the third of five public art commissions planned for the Plains Conservation Center. This opportunity calls for a mural installation for the Prairie Roots Education Center that will celebrate the history of the plains, both the history of the prairie landscape and the history of the Plains Conservation Center itself. The selected artwork will be integrated across 14 eave surfaces of varying sizes throughout the Education Center, creating an opportunity for a cohesive body of work that engages visitors as they explore the site.

BACKGROUND

The City of Aurora, Colorado Art in Public Places Program seeks qualifications from Indigenous artists for the third of five public art commissions planned for the Plains Conservation Center.

The City of Aurora is seeking a mural installation for the Prairie Roots Education Center that will celebrate the history of the plains, both the history of the prairie landscape and the history of the Plains Conservation Center itself. The selected artwork will be integrated across 14 eave surfaces of varying sizes throughout the Education Center, creating an opportunity for a cohesive body of work that engages visitors as they explore 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.

Artists are encouraged to explore the history of the plains through their own perspectives and artistic practices. Artwork may consider the prairie as both a physical landscape and a place shaped by generations of people, communities, wildlife, and environmental change. Artists may draw inspiration from the natural features of the shortgrass prairie, the history and evolution of the Plains Conservation Center, Indigenous connections to the region, and the many stories associated with this landscape.

The artwork does not need to provide a literal or chronological representation of history. Artists are encouraged to interpret the history of the plains in contemporary and meaningful ways that reflect their individual perspectives, cultural knowledge, and artistic practices.

The selected artwork should:

• Celebrate the history of the plains, including both the prairie landscape and the history of the Plains Conservation Center.
• Explore the connections between the land, people, ecology, and history of the plains.
• Reflect the character and significance of the shortgrass prairie landscape.
• Contribute to the educational mission of the Prairie Roots Education Center.
• Create a cohesive visual experience across the 14 eave surfaces.
• Encourage visitors to notice, consider, and engage with the layers of history connected to the site.
• Reflect the artist's unique perspective, cultural knowledge, and artistic practice.

Materials

Materials 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 painting methods appropriate for long-term application and consider colorfastness, surface preparation, maintenance, and expected longevity.

Plains Conservation Center

The 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 land, ecology, wildlife, Indigenous peoples, and the generations of stewards who have shaped and cared for the prairie landscape. Through conservation, education, and public engagement, the Plains Conservation Center fosters an understanding of the relationship between people and the natural world while preserving this unique ecosystem for future generations.

More information on the Plains Conservation Center can be found here and more on the Plains Conservation Center Master Plan can be found here.

Site Information

The Prairie Roots Education Center is located within the Plains Conservation Center and serves as an educational and interpretive space for visitors. The mural project will be distributed across 14 eave surfaces of varying sizes, creating an opportunity for the artist to develop a cohesive body of work that celebrates the history of the plains and the history of the Center.

The 14 eaves may be approached as a connected visual experience, with artwork that creates relationships between individual surfaces, or through other approaches that unify the project as a whole. Artists should consider how visitors will encounter and experience the artwork as they move through the Education Center.

Artists should consider:

• The varying sizes and proportions of the 14 eave surfaces.
• How the artwork will be experienced as visitors move through the Education Center.
• Opportunities to create visual connections across multiple mural surfaces.
• The relationship between the artwork and the existing architecture, educational materials, and interpretive elements.
• The history and evolution of the Plains Conservation Center.
• The broader history and character of the plains landscape.
• How the artwork can complement, rather than compete with, existing site interpretation and signage.
• The surrounding prairie landscape and natural environment.

About Aurora

Aurora is the third largest city in Colorado, spanning three counties in the eastern Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area. Aurora embraces a highly diverse population of approximately 400,000 residents who enjoy access to quality education, Colorado's natural beauty and active lifestyle, and an array of cultural amenities within the context of a vibrant and growing community. Aurora is home to top national employers in aerospace and defense, bioscience, healthcare, and alternative energy.

Situated on prairie grasslands, rolling hills and the northern tip of the Black Forest, Aurora offers a unique quality of life that blends a traditional sense of community with a range of outdoor and leisure activities. Residents enjoy a wealth of opportunities and are proud to call Aurora home.

Application Materials

• 8-10 images/videos of relevant work. Do not submit conceptual proposals, renderings or AI Images. They will not be reviewed.
• Professional resume not to exceed two pages
• Statement of Interest: (Why this project is of interest to you?)
• Brief bio
• Open ONLY to artists who reside in United States and its territories

Questions

Questions should be directed to publicart@auroragov.org

By submitting an application, artists will be added to the City of Aurora Public Art email list to receive notifications about future opportunities. Artists may opt out of these communications at any time.

Selection Process

Aurora’s Public Art Staff manages the selection process. All applications must be submitted through the CaFE System of Creative West. This application process is free. No hard copies will be accepted, and no applications should be submitted directly to public art staff. This is a call for artists who are members of the 51 federally recognized Tribal Nations associated with Colorado, as well as artists from Tribal communities whose members were displaced or who were relocated to the Denver Metro area of Colorado through the Indian Relocation Act of 1956. List of eligible tribes can be found here.

• Phase One: The Selection Panel will identify the most qualified applicants based on the selection criteria listed below. From this pool of submissions, three finalists will be selected. Finalists must submit an endorsement or certification from the tribal council or cultural preservation office of a federally or Colorado-recognized tribe.
• Phase Two: Three finalists will each receive a $300 honorarium to participate in an optional site visit, develop a formal proposal, and participate in a virtual interview. During the formal interviews (virtual), finalists will make their presentations and engage in a Q&A period.
• Phase Three: The Selection Panel will recommend the selected applicant to the Arts & Culture Commission for approval. Then the project will move through a multi-level approval process.

Selection Criteria

The ideal artist is:

• Comfortable working in the public sphere.
• Enjoys working with people.
• Has experience creating murals or other large-scale two-dimensional artwork.
• Has demonstrated experience working on projects with budgets of $10,000 or greater.
• Living and working in the United States and its Territories.
• Demonstrates deep, documented ties to the local Indigenous community or history.
• Possesses verified expertise in specific cultural traditional tribal art forms or techniques.
• Presents a portfolio reflecting the specific cultural narratives of the regional tribes.
• Is a member or descendant of a federally recognized Tribal Nation. Finalists must submit an endorsement or certification from the tribal council or cultural preservation office of a federally recognized tribe.

Tentative Timeline

• Deadline for completed applications to be received: October 7, 2026, 11:59 pm Mountain Time.
• Finalists notified: approx. week of October 19, 2026
• Finalists’ virtual presentations: approx. November 16, 2026
• Multi-level approval process completed: approx. December 2026

It is desirable that the work be completed and installed by Q3 2027.