Mural Artist Sought for St. Petersburg City Hall

Posted by City of St. Petersburg ; Posted on 
Public Art; Visual - DEADLINE :  
Mural Artist Sought for St. Petersburg City Hall

   

Artists are invited to submit applications for a piece of interior mural art for the City of St. Petersburg’s City Hall. This call is open to all artists and students internationally.

The mural location is in City Hall's main entry, up the stairs to the left landing where a WPA-era mural once hung, and which was torn down in 1966.   The original murals, of which one survives and is in its original location, were by George Snow Hill and were commissioned in 1940. The removal of the original murals is a historically significant event in the history of the City of St. Petersburg. The mural was torn down by an individual who felt it was racist.

The Project Committee seeks art that will respect and reflect the events surrounding the tearing down of the original mural and will honor and celebrate the advances in civil rights and inclusivity since that time, and which exist today in St. Petersburg.

Eligibility:  Professional artists must meet at least two of the following four criteria to have their submission presented to the Project Committee.

  1. The artist has completed other public commissions.
  2. The artist has received awards, grants or fellowships within the past five years.
  3. The artist’s works are included in major private, corporate or museum collections.
  4. The artist has exhibited in museum or gallery (solo or group) exhibitions.

If more than one artist will be participating as a team, all artists must submit digital images and resumes under the application of the lead artist. The lead artist will be responsible for the contract. If the artist will work with technical collaborators as part of the fabrication process, artist should indicate such in the letter of interest.

Project budget:  $50,000

Selection process:

Applications will be reviewed by staff for eligibility and completeness. Eligible applications will be reviewed by the Project Committee which consists of three members of the Public Arts Commission and six community members.  Up to five finalists will be asked to prepare a site-specific proposal and paid a design honorarium of $1500.  One finalist will be selected for commissioning of their proposal.

Application requirements:

All required materials except images MUST be submitted printed on letter-size paper. No card stock, please. All materials should be clipped, not bound, together. No spiral binding or ringed notebooks.

a. One copy of a current professional resume with emphasis on public art experience. If resume is longer than four pages, ensure that public art experience is included in the first four pages.

b. One set of up to ten (10) images submitted on a CD in jpg format. Each image must be no larger than 1 mg, 6”x6”, at 300dpi. Each image should be named with artist’s last name and the number of the image (Ex. Johnson_1, Johnson_2). Save all jpgs in a folder labeled with artist full name. No “tif” formats. Additional images in other formats, such as print, that could amplify the committee’s understanding of the artist’s capability to address the site may be enclosed but are not guaranteed to be reviewed by the Committee.

c. ID Sheet. Image identification sheet that includes the artist’s name, and for each digital slide, the corresponding number, title of the work, medium, dimensions, year of completion, budget. Brief (one sentence or phrase) additional comments that would help the Committee understand the image or the project may also be included. Thumbnail pictures are encouraged but not required.

d. Letter of interest (one copy). The letter should explain the artistic approach to the mural and any concept development work as it relates to the mural. Past experience that relates to the requirements of this project; any thoughts or concepts for the project; and what the artist’s role will be in fabrication and installation are also encouraged. Artists are not asked to prepare a detailed proposal or mock-up at this time.

How to submit:

Submit applications by land mail or hand delivery only.  Applications will not be accepted via email.  All applications are due before 4:00 p.m. local time on October 3, 2016.

Mail applications to:

City of St. Petersburg

Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs

PO Box 2842

St. Petersburg, FL 33731

 

Deliver applications to:

City of St. Petersburg

Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs

175 Fifth St. N.

St. Petersburg, FL 33701

 

QUESTIONS?  Contact India Williams, India.Williams@StPete.org