CALL FOR ARTISTS: Women's Right to Vote Centennial Celebration Mural

Just in time to celebrate Arts Month! This multi-site mural project activates multiple, strategic billboards throughout the area with 10.6 x 36 or 10 x 22 works and one large mural on the side of a downtown structure (final location tba).

Contributing artists are selected by a multiracial jury of regional women leaders. Selection is made based on artistic merit, creation of prior work and a brief artist statement. Contributing artists are compensated $300 for their contribution of a hi-res image of their original work to be printed on either a 10.6 x 36 or 10 x 22 billboard or the design chosen for the structure mural will be installed on the structure from February – March 2021.

The billboards will be located in strategic areas around the Pikes Peak region with the large mural in downtown Colorado Springs. If fundraising allows, billboard and mural renderings will be used on postcards, notecards, tiles, canvas bags and t-shirts to help offset mural expenses. Individual billboards will be up for 1-3 months; the downtown mural will be up for 1-3 years.

PROJECT SCOPE:

Selected artists will be asked for a high-quality, high-resolution digital file of their work prior to printing and installation. Any work that, upon delivery, has been altered significantly (from description and/or images in the entry submission) as to scale or content without prior approval from the jury, will not be accepted. Artist fee will be paid upon submission of files for final, approved artwork.

Fabrication and installation of the murals will be managed and paid for by the League of Women Voters of the Pikes Peak Region. Maintenance of the mural located downtown will be handled by the vinyl company and the artist with any additional costs covered by the LWVPPR. Billboards are intended to stay installed as long as the billboard panel remains in good condition or until the board is rented by another organization. The downtown mural is expected to be maintained for up to 1-3 years.

TIMELINE:

• Application Open: October 2020
• Application Deadline: November 4, 2020
• Jury Process: November 5-8, 2020
• Notification to Artists: November 9, 2020
• Final Design Approval: December 15, 2020
• Artwork Due: January 15, 2021
• Billboard Installation: February 2021
• Mural Installation Begins: February 2021
• Mural Unveiling: Early March 2021 (International Women’s Day – 3/6/2021 – afternoon celebration

FUNDING:

A $300 honorarium will be paid to selected artists to create a mural design. Artists are responsible for the cost of creating their original work design. The artist selected for the mural creation will receive $1,500 and be provided materials, equipment and items necessary for original artwork to be displayed on the chosen site location; the mural will tentatively remain up one-three years.

Additional artists may be contracted to create an original design to be scanned at high resolution and printed on a 10.6 x 36 or 10 x 22 billboard. Billboard printing will be handled by the presenting organizations.  The artists selected for the billboard displays will be paid $500 each.

Funding will come from private donations and grants. Donor inquiries may be directed to Shelly Roehrs at 864-901-5428 or shelly@bluepicketrealty.com. Make checks payable to LWVCO (in memo line: Mural).

PROPOSAL MATERIALS:

All materials should be submitted in digital format through LWVPPR@gmail.com

All submissions must include:

• Full contact information: Name, mailing address, phone and email
• Three (3) samples of previously completed work (jpeg)
• Two-paragraph maximum Artist’s Statement (docx or pdf)
• Describe who you are as an artist and community member
• Tell us what you envision you’d like to create for this project
• Describe why you’re interested in participating in this project

Entries must be received by 11:59 pm, MST, on November 4, 2020

DESIGN GUIDELINES:

• Design must be original work created by the applicant
• Artist may create new work or propose use of an existing piece of original work
• Design cannot include brand logos or copyrighted slogans
• Design should consider best practices for graffiti deterrence, avoiding large, open areas in the design
• As the sites for this project include neighborhoods and communities, it is recommended that designs be suitable for children.
• Artists wishing to propose more confrontational designs are assured that the mural committee will make a thorough, reasonable effort to include their work.
• Artists to submit a loose sketch/drawing, not a completed idea to committee by November 4, 2020.

SELECTION PROCESS:

This call is open to female and female-identifying artists age 18 and older who live and work in the Pikes Peak Region. All two-dimensional disciplines considered, including painting, printmaking, photography, drawing, mixed media and digital works. Selected artists will be chosen through a jury process in which artistic quality serves as the primary criterion.  Following the jury process, selected artists will be contracted with to create or provide an original work of art. Please see below for more information on design guidelines for selected artists and overall project scope.