Plains Conservation Center - Prairie Wetland Laboratory - Aurora, CO

THE PROJECT

The City of Aurora, CO is seeking a sculpture for the Prairie Wetlands Laboratory, the fifth and final of five public art commissions by Indigenous artists at the Plains Conservation Center. Artists and artist teams are welcome to apply. The selected artwork should invite visitors to engage with the prairie wetland landscape and reflect on the relationships between water, land, wildlife, and people.

The Prairie Wetlands Laboratory will be an outdoor classroom on the northeastern edge of the 1,100-acre shortgrass prairie preserve, with a gathering space, shade shelters, and a bird blind for school and community programs, wildlife viewing, and citizen science. Wetlands at the site provide vital habitat for birds, amphibians, and other wildlife within the dry prairie. Artists may explore ideas of water, observation, seasonal change, migration, renewal, reciprocity, and stewardship through their own cultural knowledge and artistic practice.

THE PROJECT

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

The City of Aurora is seeking a three-dimensional artwork for the Prairie Wetlands Laboratory project at the Plains Conservation Center. The selected artwork will invite visitors to engage with the prairie wetland landscape and consider the relationships between water, land, wildlife, people, and the ongoing care of the site.

The Prairie Wetlands Laboratory will be an outdoor classroom on the northeastern edge of the Plains Conservation Center, offering hands-on exploration of the prairie wetland landscape. The Plains Conservation Center Master Plan calls for a gathering space, shade shelters, and a bird blind at the site. These features will support school and community programs, wildlife viewing, and research, as well as citizen science activities like bird counts, plant identification, and seed collection.

The Prairie Wetlands Laboratory project invites artists to consider wetlands as places of life, renewal, and connection within the dry shortgrass prairie. Wetlands at the Plains Conservation Center provide habitat for migratory and resident birds, muskrats, frogs, salamanders, snakes, and insects, and help sustain water quality across the landscape. Artists may explore ideas of water, observation, learning, seasonal change, migration, renewal, reciprocity, and stewardship, as well as the knowledge that comes from paying close attention to the land.

Artists are encouraged to explore these ideas through their own perspectives and artistic practices. The artwork does not need to provide a literal representation of the wetlands or their ecology. Contemporary and meaningful interpretations that reflect the artist's individual perspective, cultural knowledge, and artistic practice are encouraged.

The selected artwork should:

• Engage meaningfully with the character and ecological significance of the prairie wetland landscape.
• Explore connections between water, land, wildlife, people, and place.
• Encourage close observation, curiosity, and discovery in support of hands-on learning.
• Contribute to the educational and interpretive mission of the Plains Conservation Center.
• Create a meaningful and memorable experience for visitors of all ages, including students and community groups.
• Respond thoughtfully to the specific site, its habitat, and the surrounding natural environment.
• Reflect the artist's unique perspective, cultural knowledge, and artistic practice.
• Contribute to the City of Aurora's diverse and dynamic public art collection.

Site Information

The Prairie Wetlands Laboratory is located on the northeastern edge of the Plains Conservation Center, a 1,100-acre nature preserve in southeastern Aurora. The site protects one of Colorado’s remaining shortgrass prairie ecosystems, along with lowland riparian areas and freshwater wetlands, and provides opportunities for environmental education, cultural interpretation, wildlife observation, and outdoor recreation.

The Prairie Wetlands Laboratory will serve as an outdoor classroom and gathering space for students, community groups, researchers, and visitors. The artwork should respond to this setting and consider how it will be experienced alongside educational programming, wildlife viewing, and the surrounding wetland habitat.

Artists should consider:

• The prairie wetland landscape, including its plants, wildlife, and seasonal changes.
• How the artwork will be experienced by students, program participants, and visitors using the outdoor classroom.
• The relationship between the artwork and planned site features such as the gathering space, shade shelters, and bird blind.
• Opportunities for the artwork to support observation, learning, and a sense of discovery.
• The ecological and environmental significance of wetlands within the shortgrass prairie.
• Sensitivity to wildlife and habitat, including minimizing disturbance to birds and other species.
• The relationship between people, water, wildlife, and the prairie landscape.
• How the artwork can complement, rather than compete with, existing site interpretation and signage.
• Durability, maintenance, and long-term stewardship of the artwork.

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 construction methods appropriate for long-term outdoor installation and consider durability, maintenance, conservation, structural integrity, colorfastness, and expected longevity. Artists should also consider conditions specific to a wetland setting, including moisture, wet or saturated soils, standing water, and freeze-thaw cycles.

The selected artwork must be designed to withstand the environmental conditions of the Plains Conservation Center and must meet applicable requirements for public safety and structural stability.

BACKGROUND

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 can be found here: https://www.auroragov.org/things_to_do/parks__open_space___trails/nature___open_space/nature_centers/plains_conservation_center

About Aurora, CO

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 (artist teams should submit up to two pages per team member, combined into one document)
• Statement of Interest: Why are you interested in this project? Please describe your connection with the 51 federally recognized Tribal Nations associated with Colorado or Tribal communities whose members were displaced through the Indian Relocation Act of 1956.
• Brief bio
• Artist teams are welcome to apply. Each team member must meet the eligibility requirements, and teams should identify a lead artist who will serve as the primary contact.
• 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 $675 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 outdoor sculpture or other large-scale three-dimensional artwork.
• Has demonstrated experience working on projects with budgets of $10,000 or greater.
• Is 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.
• Is a member or descendant 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.

Tentative Timeline

• Deadline for completed applications to be received: December 2, 2026, 11:59 pm Mountain Time.
• Finalists notified: approx. week of December 7, 2026
• Finalists’ virtual presentations: approx. week of January 11, 2027
• Multi-level approval process completed: approx. February 2027

It is estimated that the work be completed and installed by approx. Q3/Q4 2027