What you need to know about Boulder’s anniversary art call
By Staff Writer · Published 10/25/2026, 11:04:39 AM ET
Colorado artists can seek up to $9,500 for temporary Pearl Street Mall projects in 2027. Applications close November 16 at 5 p.m. Mountain Time; selection and project approvals come later.
Boulder is accepting proposals for temporary art on the Pearl Street Mall to mark its 50th anniversary in 2027. The city’s October 20 announcement offers artists a chance to seek project funding, not a promise of an award or permission to install work.
Q: Who can apply? A: Colorado residency is required for the lead applicant, and each artist gets one submission for a single idea. The city’s linked general rules set a minimum applicant age of 18, bar funding for city employees and require compliance with earlier Arts Commission commitments or demonstrated good-faith efforts to do so, alongside other legal and program conditions.
Q: How much money is available for a project? A: An application may request no more than $9,500 from the Experiments in Public Art program. The budget can exceed that amount if it includes other funding; the city requires a detailed accounting of income and expenses, with design, materials and installation listed separately.
Q: What would visitors be able to see? A: Projects must be free for the public to experience or view along the Mall, with final locations settled by city art staff and the Downtown Boulder Partnership. Installations must last at least a weekend but no longer than three months; performances and similar experiences need three or more occurrences over no more than three months. Artists also have public-event, anniversary-participation and final-report obligations.
Q: What belongs in an application? A: Email one PDF to publicart@bouldercolorado.gov containing a project statement of no more than one page, project and permitting requirements, four media examples, a detailed budget and a one- or two-page résumé or CV for each artist. The city’s full call supplies the required email subject line, media-format instructions and insurance questions; names must appear throughout the materials.
Q: When is the deadline, and are there other approvals? A: The city must receive the application by November 16, 2026, at 5 p.m. Mountain Time; it says late or incomplete submissions will not be considered. Project-specific permits, insurance and accessibility requirements remain part of planning, and artists are responsible for maintenance while their work is displayed. City utilities are not available for the projects.
Q: When would selections and projects happen? A: The published timetable puts staff eligibility checks on November 17–23, panel selection on December 8 and Boulder Arts Commission approval on December 16. It schedules full project approval and award announcements for January 2027, contracts for February and implementation from April through October. Those are the program’s announced steps, not confirmation that any proposal has already won.
What it means
Boulder’s Experiments in Public Art call seeks Colorado artists’ proposals for temporary, free public projects along the Pearl Street Mall for its 50th anniversary in 2027. Applicants can request up to $9,500 and must submit the required PDF by November 16, 2026, at 5 p.m. Mountain Time. City staff, the Standing Public Art Selection Panel and the Boulder Arts Commission have roles in review and approval; awards are scheduled to be announced in January, with projects planned for April–October 2027.
Source
This State & Nation summary is based on City of Boulder’s original release, dated 2026-10-20. The reporting and statistics above are attributed to that publication.