Water Quality Services Division Building Project

The City of Fort Collins, Colorado, Art in Public Places Program (APP) is seeking submissions to select an artist/artist team to develop art concepts for the Water Quality Services Division Building Project. The artists/teams will work with the project team to develop concepts for art at the site. Artists/teams will be selected based on their qualifications/application materials. The art project is estimated at $295,000.

The City of Fort Collins, Colorado, Art in Public Places Program is seeking an artist/team to collaborate with the Project Team and develop site-specific artworks for the Water Quality Services Division Building Project. The department, design team, and APP Board will determine the extent of the artist’s involvement in the project. Artist will start meeting with the project team immediately after the selection process.

This new facility at 702 West Drake Road will consolidate the City’s Pollution Control Laboratory, Water Quality Laboratory and Watershed Team into a single, state-of-the-art laboratory environment. By bringing these operations together, the City will strengthen compliance with Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment requirements, foster greater operational integration, and enable more efficient use of staff and resources. Importantly, the facility will be designed to accommodate future growth and expansion, ensuring that the City can continue to meet evolving regulatory and community needs for decades to come.

The building will not be open to the public; however, community members may have access to the facility by appointment. Opportunities for partnerships with local educational institutions are also anticipated. The building’s conference room will be available for water-related community meetings. Artwork is expected to be mainly located outside the building or positioned where it is visible from by the public.

Eligibility

This project is open to artists/artist teams residing in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Kansas, who are at least 18 years of age, and legally residing in and authorized to work in the United States. Artist/Teams must be able to work effectively and collaboratively with the project’s design team selected by the City of Fort Collins.

Media

All media appropriate to the project will be considered. All applicants are expected to consider the issues of long-term conservation and maintenance of public art, along with timeline and budget. The work is intended to be a permanent addition to the City of Fort Collins. Design and installation must consider that the work will be situated in a public location and subject to the elements and potential vandalism.

Budget

The total contract amount for all applicable expenses, which includes all fees for consulting with the design team, the design, execution, transportation, site preparation, and installation of all artwork selected as well as a project plaque, shall be an approximate amount up to $295,000. This figure will also include any travel expenses.

Selection Schedule

• November 16, 2026, 11:59 pm MST – Deadline
• December 2026 – Selection committee meets to select semifinalists; all applicants notified of application status.
• December 2026-Early-January 2027 – Semifinalist Interviews
• Mid-Late-January 2027 – Finalist selected and starts working with the project team.

Selection Criteria

In reviewing the submitted RFQ materials, the committee will consider the following:

• The artist’s letter of intent and how well it addresses this project.
• The artist’s experience working within the public art process and demonstrated ability to work with a project team.
• The quality of the artist’s submitted portfolio of previous work samples.

Selection Process

A selection committee may consist of members of the Arts & Culture Board, the project team, and a City Purchasing Department representative. The committee will review application materials and select semifinalists. Semifinalists will be interviewed by the project team before final selection. Artists/teams will be selected based on their qualifications/application. The committee reserves the right to reject any or all entries at any time during the review and selection process.

The artist/team will have a design contract and work with the project team to develop concepts for the site and then create a detailed proposal, budget and timeline for the art element(s). Final approval is required from the Arts & Culture Board and the Fort Collins City Council. Depending on the final design/materials of the project, the artist may be awarded the contract to fabricate the project.

Please submit one (1) copy of the following materials:

1. Letter of intent describing your interest in this project.  Please describe your interest in this project. Please also describe any past project experience working with a project and design team to integrate artwork early into the design of an overall project. Please include the project art budget.
2. Current resume (max. 2 pages) outlining your professional accomplishments as an artist and experience with design team projects.
3. Three (3) References: Names, professional titles, phone numbers, and email addresses of three references who can speak to your experience as an artist and past public art projects.
4. Image details including artist name, title, media, dimensions, location, date, cost, and description of the artwork.

In addition to the above materials, please also submit:

1.       Six (total) digital images of relevant work completed within the past five years

• Do not include a proposal, graphic rendering or illustration with this application.
• Do not include images on resume
• Submissions must be complete or will not be reviewed.
• Materials not requested will not be reviewed.

This project is open to artists/artist teams residing in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Kansas, who are at least 18 years of age, and legally residing in and authorized to work in the United States. Artist/Teams must be able to work effectively and collaboratively with the project’s design team selected by the City of Fort Collins.