Deadline: January 15, 2020

Budget: up to $120,000

Link to online call and application here.

Colorado Mental Health Institute at Fort Logan (CMHIFL) operates 94 inpatient psychiatric beds for adults with serious mental illness, most of whom are referred by community mental health centers and are on civil commitments. This project will renovate two of the existing housing units (F2 and F3 cottages), that are currently used as ‘swing space’ at CMHIFL and construct additions to the units. These renovated and/or new cottage(s)/ building(s) will be reconstructed in a similar fashion to the F1 cottage renovation (completed in 2012) at the CMHIFL facility, including constructing additions to add program and staff space and to create secure facility entrances.  The cottages, once complete and brought online permanently, will add 44 inpatient psychiatric beds to the CDHS total inventory, increasing the metro hospital’s capacity by almost 50 percent. The estimated completion date of the renovation is December 2021. These additional beds will be dedicated to restoration, while the hospital’s current 94 beds will remain dedicated to civil patients.

 

The building project will enter the schematic design phase in December 2019, with construction documents to be finalized in summer 2020. The Art Selection Committee would like to select an artist or artists in early 2020 in order to involve the artist(s) in the design process to create an opportunity for the artworks to be better integrated into the building and best serve its unique community. Selected artist(s) will have the opportunity to collaborate with building users, the design team and stakeholders during the design and construction process in order to create the most compelling artwork for the spaces. Selected artist(s) is required to participate in a minimum of two meetings, at least one during the Design Development Phase and one during the Construction Development Phase.

The committee is looking for artwork for both the interior and exterior of the renovated units. The opportunity will be awarded to either an artist who can engage both locations or divided between multiple artists who can address different locations. The committee would like artworks that work well with the building’s architecture and feel timeless. Natural and organic materials or forms that create a softened sense of the environment are preferred.

 

CMHIFL is a place for hope, recovery, healing, inspiration, and comfort.  Art will be an integral part of the lives of the patients and staff. Artwork should be soothing and therapeutic in nature and create a nurturing environment where patients feel grounded. Realistic artwork at a realistic scale is better received by patients, rather than works in an abstract style. Since colors, patterns, materials, reflectivity, etc. can have a profound impact on a patient’s and an employee’s perception of his or her environment, their use in the artwork must reflect sensitivity to this issue as well as the need for safety and security within a secure facility. The artists must also consider the security of the artwork and whether the artwork could potentially be dangerous to the staff and patients with mental illness who may harm themselves or others (including ligature risks), therefore the durability and safety of the proposed materials is an important factor that the committee will consider.