Olde Town Arvada Murals - Grandview Avenue

The City of Arvada’s Arts & Culture Commission is seeking a qualified artist or artist team currently living in Colorado to design and paint a street mural and adjacent traffic concrete block barriers, as shown in the enclosed materials. Location is within historic Olde Town Arvada, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is part of the Olde Town Revitalization (Reinvestment Plan) project. This project is an effort to preserve the history and character of Olde Town Arvada while ensuring the district remains a thriving and vibrant downtown for many years to come.

“Olde Town Arvada is the heart and soul of the City. Our downtown is where historic roots intermingle with new and fresh ideas, providing a one of a kind authentic experience in a relaxed atmosphere.”

The City of Arvada’s Arts & Culture Commission is seeking a qualified artist or artist team currently living in Colorado to design and paint a street mural and adjacent traffic concrete block barriers, as shown in the enclosed materials. Location is within historic Olde Town Arvada, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is part of the Olde Town Revitalization (Reinvestment Plan) project. This project is an effort to preserve the history and character of Olde Town Arvada while ensuring the district remains a thriving and vibrant downtown for many years to come.

“Olde Town Arvada is the heart and soul of the City. Our downtown is where historic roots intermingle with new and fresh ideas, providing a one of a kind authentic experience in a relaxed atmosphere.”

The artist(s) awarded the contract will design and paint a street mural to cover approx. 1,500 square feet. The mural should be approximately 100 feet long and 15 feet wide. The associated traffic blocks are 6’x2’x2’ with varying textures and round 30” diameter 26” tall. See the photos in this folder. Please note that prints of this artwork will also be produced and vinyl-wrapped on the nearby traffic poles; the artist is not responsible for this installation piece. 

The selected artist/s will be awarded a $27,000 contract for all phases of the project, which includes all necessary elements to successfully design and paint the mural.

The site consists of: 

• 100' x 15' street mural on Grandview Ave.
• 15 rectangle traffic blocks 6’x2’x2’
• 3 round traffic blocks 30” diameter 26” tall

This project on Grandview Avenue will require installation to begin during the week of September 7 to align with Olde Town Shindig on Saturday, September 12. Selected artist(s) for this area will also be asked to lead a community painting day during the event, involving designated concrete traffic blocks. Installation and project completion may continue in the weeks following the event.

The Arvada Arts & Culture Commission will review and select up to 4 finalists based on their resumes & previous work examples. These finalists will be asked to complete a full proposal for their concept for this mural site. The finalists who are not awarded the commission will be given an honorarium of $250 for their completion of the full proposals for the mural site. 

Budgets are inclusive of all costs associated with the mural, including, but not limited to, materials, artist design fee, installation labor, travel, per diem expenses, project documentation, equipment rental, unexpected expenses, and any other costs related to the creation of the mural.

Artists are welcome to submit applications for multiple project areas. However, please note that an artist can only receive one commission or project across all three calls for entry in the Olde Town Arvada Murals project. This includes the following areas: Olde Town Arvada Murals - Grandview Avenue, Olde Town Arvada Murals - Olde Wadsworth Blvd, and Olde Wadsworth Blvd x Grandview Avenue.

To apply: Applicants must be 18 years or older and hold a current Colorado home or studio address to be eligible to apply. This call is administered through CaFÉ. Artists must set up a profile in the online system to complete the application successfully. Eligible artists may submit their artist statement, resume/CV, and three to five examples of relevant projects through https://www.callforentry.org/.

Project Considerations 

• Develop and paint a mural artwork
• Design a work that fits well into the context of the site
• Use materials that are of the highest quality, that are designed for durability and low maintenance
• Complete the project within the set timeline and within budget
• The artist agrees to participate in any press or media opportunities as they arise, such as print, interviews, discussions, and presentations as deemed necessary by the Arvada Arts & Culture Commission or City of Arvada.
• The artist will not be responsible for the general maintenance of the artwork once completed, but agrees to be available after services have been completed for repair consultation if needed.
• Artist who submit their artworks may also be considered by the Olde Town Business Improvement District for a separate project. 

Timeline

• Application Deadline | Sunday, July 12 (11:59 PM)
• Jurying Period | July 13-16
• Four Finalists Notified | Friday, July 17
• Final Designs Due | Sunday, August 16  (11:59 PM)
• Final Jurying Period | August 17-20
• Finalist Announced | Friday, August 21
• Installation Begins | Week of September 7
• Community Painting Day | Saturday, September 12
• Installation Complete | Saturday, October 31, 2026
   

To apply: Applicants must be 18 years or older and hold a current Colorado home or studio address to be eligible to apply. This call is administered through CaFÉ. Artists must set up a profile in the online system to complete the application successfully. Eligible artists may submit their artist statement, resume/CV, and three to five examples of relevant projects through https://www.callforentry.org/.

To apply: Applicants must be 18 years or older and hold a current Colorado home or studio address to be eligible to apply. This call is administered through CaFÉ. Artists must set up a profile in the online system to complete the application successfully. Eligible artists may submit their artist statement, resume/CV, and three to five examples of relevant projects through https://www.callforentry.org/.

Artists are welcome to submit applications for multiple project areas. However, please note that an artist can only receive one commission or project across all three calls for entry in the Olde Town Arvada Murals project. This includes the following areas: Olde Town Arvada Murals - Grandview Avenue, Olde Town Arvada Murals - Olde Wadsworth Blvd, and Olde Wadsworth Blvd x Grandview Avenue.

Artists must adhere to the timeline listed.