Art in Public Places

Summary:

The City of Fort Collins Art in Public Places (APP) Program is celebrating 20 years since completing the first Transformer Cabinet Murals in Tenney Court. For 2026, APP seeks to commission multiple new artists who haven’t completed a previous Transformer Cabinet Mural in Fort Collins. These artists will work with the APP Project Team to develop concepts for murals to be painted on transformer cabinets located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The murals are intended to help mitigate graffiti, as well as create artful objects within the public sites. The APP Program will select artists/teams for multiple locations. Artists/teams will be selected based on their qualifications/application materials. The budget is a minimum of $1,250 per artist/team.

Project:

APP is requesting artist qualifications in an open competition for artists/teams to create painted murals on select electrical equipment (transformer cabinets) sited within the City of Fort Collins. Murals will be painted in July and August. The goal of the project is to mitigate placement of graffiti upon these existing structures and to make them artful objects within the site.

The APP Program is celebrating 20 years since completing the first Transformer Cabinet Murals in Tenney Court. To celebrate this anniversary, APP would like to introduce new artists to the Transformer Cabinet Mural Program. For 2026, the APP Program is only looking for new/emerging artists that haven’t previously completed a Transformer Cabinet Mural in Fort Collins to apply. Artists who have previously completed transformer cabinet murals with the City of Fort Collins are not eligible in 2026. We hope you will apply again in the future.

The program will offer mentorship opportunities for selected artists. Artists will be assigned a cabinet location after they are selected. A final design will be developed at that time with input from the Project Team. The resulting design should be visually active and busy, so as not to leave large open spaces. The design must be picture-based, not word-based. Any text included in the design should be incidental to the design and not the focal point of the design. The City will not accept designs that include logos; copyrighted or trademarked images; advertisements; or political, commercial, religious, or sexual symbols, themes, or messages. Designs must be appropriate for a diverse audience of all ages. We encourage diversity in the mural themes/content. The transformer cabinets are functioning units and need to be opened periodically by utility personnel. The use of dark colors in the mural is subject to approval to avoid thermal problems for the transformer cabinet. Final artwork must incorporate the inclusion of the existing required labeling for each electrical/utility unit.

Safety & Durability:

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. Access to the boxes and to the contents of the boxes must be possible at any time. The contents of the boxes have the potential to generate extreme levels of heat.

Site:

The project area is within the city limits of Fort Collins, Colorado. Specific sites are selected by the Project Team.

Eligibility:

To celebrate the 20^th anniversary, APP would like to introduce new artists to the opportunity of painting murals on transformer cabinets in Fort Collins. This project is open to new/emerging artists/ teams that haven’t previously completed a Transformer Cabinet Mural and that reside or have a current studio space within the Growth Management Area of Fort Collins, Colorado.  Artists must be at least 18 years of age and legally residing in and authorized to work in the United States. A map of the Growth Management Area can be found at this link. The artist or artist team leader must be at least 18 years of age. The artist must be willing to work with the design team selected by the City of Fort Collins. Artists are allowed one submission (artist or team). Artists previously awarded a Transformer Cabinet Mural are not eligible to apply.

Media:

The team is looking for murals to be painted on working transformer cabinets. The surface treatment should allow the box to be opened and worked on by the utility crews. The City will prepare the surface for painting and add a final anti-graffiti coating to the mural.

Budget:

Compensation will depend upon surface area of the cabinet(s) to be painted, which will be determined by the Transformer Cabinet Mural Project Team. The total contract amount—for all applicable expenses, which includes all fees for consulting with the design team, the design, travel, and execution of all artwork selected—shall be an amount based on the total square footage of surface area to be painted per site. A minimum of $1,250 will be paid per artist.

Selection Process:

 A selection committee may consist of members of the APP Board, representatives from the Transformer Cabinet Mural Project Team, and a City Purchasing Department representative. The committee will review application materials and make a final recommendation. The selection committee reserves the right to reject any entry at any time in the review and selection process.

Artists/teams will be chosen during an initial review process. Each artist/team will work with the project team to develop a detailed design proposal, budget, and timeline. Upon final approval from the APP Board and possibly the Fort Collins City Council, the artists will be awarded contracts for a minimum amount of $1,250.

Selection Criteria:

• Suitability of the artist/team to the project as demonstrated in resume and letter of intent.
• Quality of artist’s/team’s previous work as demonstrated in digital images.

Submission Information:

Proposals must be received before 5:00 p.m. (our clock), March 4, 2026
Final Selection by March 2026

Email applications to: purchasing@fortcollins.gov
Type "2026 Transformer Cabinet Mural Project" in the subject line and request an acknowledgement email

Application Materials to be Submitted:

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

1. Completed form at this link.
2. A one-page letter of intent. Include information such as why you are interested and how your skills and experience relate to this project.
3. Current resume (max. 1 page) outlining your accomplishments as an artist. Team resumes can either be 2 pages for the team or one page per team member.
4. Image list including name, title, media, dimensions, and date of the artwork. List all names if the work was completed by a team of artists. 

Please do not include images on your resume, letter of intent, or slide list.

 In addition to the above materials, please submit:

Five digital images of recent work created within the last 5 years. We are seeking colorful transformer cabinet murals, with high value contrast, and busy compositions to help deter graffiti, and would like to see examples of similar work. Digital images should be high resolution. When opened, each image file should appear in the proper orientation. Please label each image with artist’s last name and image number matching the artist’s image list.

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

Contact information:

Questions concerning the scope of the project should be directed to Ellen Martin at (970) 416-2789.

Contract:

Upon selection and final design approval, the artist must complete a contract with the City of Fort Collins. All finished work shall be faithful to the drawings, designs, concepts, and budget as approved by the APP Board and possibly the Fort Collins City Council. Progress reports and payments will be made as contracted, with final payment to be made upon completion and acceptance by the City of Fort Collins.

Notice:

All proposals submitted must meet all applicable City codes and charter requirements. The City of Fort Collins reserves the right to reject all proposals and to waive irregularities or informalities. Artists are not to contact the project community/neighborhoods for an APP project unless arranged through Ellen Martin, APP Coordinator for the City.

Sincerely,
Jake Rector
Interim Purchasing Director

If you are interested in painting a Transformer Cabinet Mural in 2026, come to our informational sessions to learn more about the process.

Virtual Presentation and Q&A
A recording of this session can be found here: https://youtu.be/Q26Mk8HEvqA
This session includes a presentation about the application and review process. Program staff answers questions at the end of the session.

In Person Open House
Wednesday, February 25, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., Center for Creativity, 200 Mathews St., Fort Collins, CO 80524
This is a drop in session. Program staff will provide information about applying for this opportunity and other current opportunities available to artists, as well as the program in general. Staff will answer questions about the Transformer Cabinet Mural application and review process one on one. Event Info.

Have Questions? Contact Libby Colbert at lcolbert@fortcollins.gov.

Summary:

The City of Fort Collins Art in Public Places Program (APP) is seeking submissions to create a two-year list of approved artists/teams who can work as Artist Consultants during the design phase for City of Fort Collins capital projects. If you were accepted in 2025, you don’t need to reapply until 2027.

Project:

The City of Fort Collins is seeking visual artists/teams to serve as Artist Consultants for City construction projects. This includes artists working in all media—sculpture, mosaic, murals, etc. The APP Program maintains this resource list of pre-approved visual artists available to work on City projects. Artist Consultants selected from the resource list will work with a project team that may include architects, engineers, community members, and managers to designate opportunities for art within the project or within a separate art budget. This approach requires good collaboration skills, creativity, flexibility, and an open mind. The department, design team, and APP Board will determine the extent of the Artist Consultant’s involvement in a project. The Artist Consultant will be paid a fee of $55 an hour for the design phase and could also be commissioned to create a piece of artwork for the project. The APP program will use this list of artists for approximately two years. If you were accepted in 2025, you don’t need to reapply until 2027. Acceptance onto this list will not exclude the artist from submitting and being selected for other City of Fort Collins’s APP Projects.

Eligibility:

This project is open to artists/teams within a 250-mile radius from the City of Fort Collins, CO, who are at least 18 years of age and are legally residing in and authorized to work in the United States. Artist/Teams must be able to work effectively and collaboratively with the project team selected by the City of Fort Collins.

Media:

This call is open to artists working in all media—sculpture, mosaic, murals, etc.

Selection Process:

A selection committee may consist of members of the Arts & Culture Board and a City Purchasing Department representative. The committee will review application materials and make a final recommendation. The selection committee reserves the right to reject any or all entries at any time in the review and selection process.

Selection Criteria:

• Technical Competence and Collaborative Approach as demonstrated in letter of intent and resume
• Artistic Excellence as demonstrated in digital images.

Submission Information:

Proposals must be received before 5:00 p.m. (our clock), May 20, 2026
Final Selection by June 2026

Email applications to: purchasing@fortcollins.gov
Type "APP Artist Consultant List" in the subject line and request an acknowledgement email

Application Materials to be Submitted:

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

1. Completed form at this link.
2. A one (1) page letter of intent describing how you approach working with a design team or on collaborative projects.
3.  Current resume (max. 2 pages) outlining your professional accomplishments as an artist/team and experience with design team projects. Team resumes can either be 2 pages for the team or one page per team member.
4. Three references: Names, professional titles, phone numbers, and email addresses of three references who can speak to your experience as an artist/team and past public art projects.
5. Image list including artist name, title, media, dimensions, location, date, cost, and description of the artwork. List all names if the work was completed by a team of artists.

Do not include images on resume, letter of intent, or image list.

In addition to the above materials please also submit:

Six (6) digital images total of relevant work completed within the past five years. Digital images should be presented in a jpeg format up to 300 dpi, no larger than 1.5 MB per image. When opened, each image file should appear in the proper orientation. Please label each image with artist’s last name and image number matching the artist’s image list.

Submissions must be complete or will not be reviewed.

Materials not requested will not be reviewed.

Notice

All proposals submitted must meet all applicable City codes and Charter requirements. The City of Fort Collins reserves the right to reject all proposals and to waive irregularities or informalities. Artists are not to contact the project community/neighborhoods for an APP project unless arranged through Ellen Martin, APP Coordinator for the City.

Sincerely,

Jake Rector
Interim Purchasing Director

Summary:

The City of Fort Collins Art in Public Places (APP) Program is requesting designs from artists aged 3 to 18 years old. The drawings will be sandblasted into 16" × 16" granite pavers and incorporated into the City’s streetscape. Drawings should reflect a theme relating to celebrating the 150^th anniversary of Colorado or the 250^th anniversary of the country. The Selection Committee will select multiple artists for this project.

Project:

The City’s Streets and Engineering Departments work to provide safe pedestrian access by creating new pedestrian routes as well as improving existing areas. The City requests black and white line drawings, either representational or abstract concepts with themes celebrating: the 150th anniversary of Colorado’s statehood or the 250th anniversary of United States Declaration of Independence. The selected designs will be sandblasted into 16" × 16" granite pavers and placed in various sidewalks throughout Fort Collins. The artwork will be a signature piece in the city and be highly visible to the public.

Eligibility:

Artwork will be accepted from youth, aged 3 to 18 years old. The artists are required to reside and/or attend a school within the City of Fort Collins Growth Management Area. A map of the Growth Management Area can be found at this link. Entries will be reviewed in three age categories: 3–8, 9–12, and 13–18. Each artist may submit only one drawing.

Budget:

Artists whose designs have been selected by the committee will be awarded $50. Up to 15 designs will be selected.

Selection Process:

The selection committee may consist of the Art & Culture Board, representatives from the City’s Project Team and City Purchasing Department. The committee will review submissions and either recommend finalists or make a final selection. The selection committee reserves the right to reject any entry at any time in the review and selection process. All designs selected become the property of the City of Fort Collins. Selected artists will be required to sign an agreement with the City and provide a W-9 for honorarium payment.

Selection Criteria:

Selection is based on suitability of the design, including form, content, scale, and clarity. The design should be picture-based, not word-based. Designs that include logos; copyrighted or trademarked images; advertisements; or political, commercial, religious, or sexual symbols, themes, or messages will not be accepted.

Submission Information:

Proposals must be received before 5:00 p.m. (our clock), October 26, 2026
Final Selection November 2026

Please mail form with ONE drawing to:
APP 2026 PEDESTRIAN PAVER PROJECT
City of Fort Collins Purchasing Division
P.O. Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522

Or email form with ONE drawing to: 
purchasing@fortcollins.gov
Type "2026 Pedestrian Paver Project" in the subject line. Request an acknowledgement email.

Or form with ONE drawing may be hand-delivered Tues–Sat, between 12 PM and 6 PM to:
2026 PEDESTRIAN PAVER PROJECT
The Lincoln Center Box Office
Attn: Art in Public Places
417 W. Magnolia St.
Fort Collins, CO 80521
(The Box Office is inside the main entrance at the corner of Magnolia and Meldrum Streets.)

All drawings will become the property of the City of Fort Collins and cannot be returned.

Application Materials to be Submitted:

Please complete the Pedestrian-Paver-Artist-Form.pdf(PDF, 91KB) with the following information:

1. Design: ONE black and white THICK, BOLD, CLEAR line drawing (no shading) completed on the attached form. Fine, intricate details cannot be duplicated in a sandblasted paver and we reserve the right to edit images for clarity.
2. Written explanation: A description of your design.
3. Contact information.

Questions:

Questions concerning the scope of the project should be directed to Ellen Martin at (970) 416-2789.

Notice:

All proposals submitted must meet all applicable City codes and Charter requirements. The City of Fort Collins reserves the right to reject all proposals and to waive irregularities or informalities.

Sincerely,
Jake Rector
Interim Purchasing Director