aurora animal shelter – interior aerial sculpture

Background

The Animal Services Division and the Aurora Animal Shelter provide lifesaving programs and services for the city. The division investigates, quarantines, reports information regarding cases involving diseases transmitted from animals to people, and collaborates with state and local health departments to ensure public health and safety are met in the City's coverage area of over 154 square miles. This Includes impounding animals, investigating animal cruelty and neglect, educating the public on responsible pet ownership, all while enforcing the city ordinances and providing 24-hour on-call responses. Providing humane care and treatment seven days per week for abandoned, stray, and homeless animals, provide veterinary care, return animals to their homes, and promote adoption. The shelter has expanded veterinary services to animals whose owners may be experiencing homelessness or are categorized as at risk.

The Aurora Animal Shelter is being designed and constructed to replace the existing animal shelter in Aurora, Colorado. The new shelter will provide modern designed, healthy housing for the animals in care. It will offer a welcoming place for members of the public to view and meet with adoptable animals, and a safe, clean environment for staff and volunteers. With a focus on Fear Free design, the new shelter will support the best practices in animal sheltering so the animals housed there may be cared for properly, humanely, safely and efficiently.

The City of Aurora, CO is seeking an interior aerial sculpture to serve as a dynamic focal point of the new Animal Shelter. The suspended artwork should create a sense of movement, inspiration, and welcome, offering a memorable first impression for visitors and setting the tone for their experience in the facility. Designed with visibility in mind, the piece will be viewed from multiple vantage points and should complement the architectural character of the space.

This commission is part of a broader vision for public art at the shelter, alongside opportunities for interior mural(s) and an exterior artwork, with the potential for artists to contribute to a unified artistic presence across the facility.

Related Projects

This is one of three RFQs for the Animal Shelter (Interior Aerial Sculpture, Interior Mural(s), and Exterior Project). Artists may apply to one or more opportunities. The City is interested in exploring proposals that may contribute to a holistic artistic vision across the facility.

About Aurora

Aurora is the third largest city in Colorado, spanning three counties in the eastern Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area. Aurora embraces a highly diverse population of approximately 400,000 residents who enjoy access to quality education, Colorado's natural beauty and active lifestyle, and an array of cultural amenities within the context of a vibrant and growing community. Aurora is home to top national employers in aerospace and defense, bioscience, healthcare, and alternative energy.

Situated on prairie grasslands, rolling hills and the northern tip of the Black Forest, Aurora offers a unique quality of life that blends a traditional sense of community with a range of outdoor and leisure activities. Residents enjoy a wealth of opportunities and are proud to call Aurora home.

Tentative Timeline

• Finalists notified: week of November 24, 2025
• Finalists’ virtual presentations: January 13, 2026
• Multi-level approval process completed: February 2026
• It is desirable that the work be completed and installed by Q4 2026 – Q2 2027