Request for Proposal: Youth-Led Mural Project on the Sand Creek Regional Greenway
The Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership (SCRGP) is seeking proposals from artists or artist teams that have experience working with youth and community to create a 275 to 300-foot-long and 13-foot-tall mural along the Sand Creek Regional Greenway in Northeast Denver. The mural will be at the Smith Road trailhead at 9450 Smith Road, Denver, CO 80238.
Project Background: The SCRGP has a five-year strategic plan to fill all 3,000 linear feet of the Sand Creek Art walk walls with art. The goal is to install one new piece of art each year. This year, the Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership will empower youth from the be well Youth Council to select the newest addition to the Sand Creek Art Walk.
This project includes a Mural Festival on September 16th. The community will be invited to participate in a “paint-by-numbers" engagement opportunity during this festival to kick off the start of this mural. The selected artist or artist team should be able to create space within their design process for this one-day festival.
The Sand Creek Regional Greenway is a 13.1 mile trail and wildlife corridor connecting three cities: Commerce City, Denver, and Aurora, and three counties: Adams, Denver, and Arapahoe. The be well Youth Council, consisting of 15 youth, are excited to lead the mural selection process to ensure their experiences and perspectives are represented. The mural will create a sense of visibility and representation of what matters most to them.
The be well Youth Council is comprised of students who attend schools in the northeast metro Denver area. Students aged 11-17 work to design, implement and assess healthy living opportunities throughout the be well zone neighborhoods. The be well zone neighborhoods include Northeast Park Hill, Greater Park Hill, Central Park, East Colfax Northwest Aurora, and Montbello.
The timeline for the project is as follows:
June 5th - RFP closes
June 8th- be well Youth Council review proposals
June 9th - Invites sent to the top four selected artists to submit a detailed mockup of the mural (all artists who are selected and accept will receive an honorarium for their efforts)
July 20th - Artists meet with Youth Council virtually to share their proposals and answer questions from the youth
July 21st - Muralist selected and notified
August 7th to September 15th- Wall Prep
September 16th - Mural festival with up to 120 participants between 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
November 6th- Mural and protective coating completed
Scope of Work: The selected artist or artist team will work with the Youth Council to design and install a mural that meets the following requirements:
The mural must be between 275 to 300 feet long and 13 feet tall.
The mural must be completed by November 6, 2023.
The mural must include themes of inclusivity, BIPOC culture and history, Denver's infrastructure and natural features, and interactive imagery and words that elicit emotions.
The selected artist(s) will need to be able to work alongside youth and community members.
Creating a design that allows the community to participate in a "paint-by-numbers" activity on September 16th during the Mural Festival.
Proposal Requirements: Proposals should include the following:
A portfolio of previous work.
Three references (Name, relationship, phone number, and e-mail address)
A 1000 character or less statement of interest in the project.
A 1000 character or less statement of experience with youth and/or community or, if you have not had the opportunity to work with youth and/or community in the past, how you expect to interact with and value youth and community voice in this project.
Provide a brief proposed mural concept. This does not have to be overly in-depth. We do suggest you use images to help the youth visualize the concept. The top four selected artists will be given an honorarium to further develop upon their proposed images and ideas.
A brief description of how the artist(s) anticipate working within the given timeframe.
A list of any specialized equipment or knowledge required for installation.
Evaluation Criteria: Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
Artistic merit and creativity.
Alignment with the articulated themes found in the RFP.
Feasibility and timeline.
Budget and cost-effectiveness.
Experience working with youth and community.
Budget/Payment
Statement acknowledging the project’s total budget cannot exceed $30,000 and includes all your proposal’s expenses, including execution of mural, materials, rental equipment, general liability insurance coverage and continency (if applicable). A detailed budget is only required for the four (4) finalists. To be notified on June 9th.
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