The city of Durango is seeking artists to help design new features outside the Santa Rita Administration Building and Water Reclamation Facility, which the city plans to install in 2024.

Specifically, the city is requesting input for several murals, a sculpture, interactive art, and bathroom and wayfinding signage.

The city is encouraging the use of themes such as the Animas River Trail, native plant life, the water cycle and the wastewater treatment process, says the city’s official request for professional services.

The request for services was published by the city last week, and artists have until Oct. 30 to ask for clarification about the project scope and what the city is looking for. Artist proposals for the Santa Rita facility at 105 South Camino del Rio are due by 3 p.m. Nov. 7.

If needed, the city will conduct interviews with prospective project partners the week of Nov. 13. Artists will be notified if their proposal is accepted the week of Nov. 21, the request for services says.

Durango economic opportunity manager Tommy Crosby is fielding questions from artists while the city waits for proposals to come in. He said interest in the project appears high and he receives at least one call from an interested artist a day.

“We’ve been hearing that there’s some cool collaborations possible,” he said.

He said there are three large facility walls totaling 155 feet long that could host some of the largest murals in the city.

“I received another call (Wednesday) about a couple artists wanting to collaborate on some of the metal work,” he said. “So I think we’re going to see some really cool proposals and I’m excited that word is getting out there and people are definitely interested.”

The city’s request for services says two of the three walls face west toward the Animas River, while the third wall faces northwest toward the river.

Crosby likened each wall to a panel. The first west-facing wall is 11 feet tall and 86 feet wide; the second wall is 9 feet tall and 45 feet wide; and the northwest-facing wall is 9 feet and 24 feet wide.

The city budgeted $100,000 to fund aesthetic improvements for the garden space directly outside the reclamation facility and administration building at Santa Rita Park, he said. The funding is available because a garden project at the water reclamation facility featuring mostly native plants was completed well under budget.

But unlike similar art projects that are funded through Durango’s arts and culture fund, which is funded by lodgers tax collections, this project is being treated like a standard request for proposals because it’s being funded through the Public Works Department’s budget. The RFP process includes review by the city’s purchasing department, Crosby said.

Although the project won’t be reviewed by the Durango Creative Economy Commission as other art projects are, a Durango Creative District member will be part of the RFP review process, he said.

He said the city looks to incorporate more water-smart landscaping featuring plants adapted to thrive in Durango’s climate, which resorted in the garden project.

“Some of the fun elements are trying to incorporate, you know, some theme of the water reclamation process paired with, you know, the river park right there, and just kind of general water and river themes,” he said. “So it’ll be fun to see if any of the submitting artists play into that.”

Crosby said artists interested in getting involved in beautifying the Santa Rita Administration Building and Water Reclamation Facility should plan to submit their proposals no later than Nov. 7, and it’s ideal if proposals are submitted even sooner.

Project details and proposal guidelines are available in the city’s call to artists, available online at https://bit.ly/3MgBR6r.

cburney@durangoherald.com