State of Indiana Seeks Artist for Official Governor's Portrait

The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites has issued a call for artists to paint the official portrait of Governor Mike Pence. The portrait will become part of the Indiana Governors Portrait Collection, overseen by the museum.

The approximately 42” X 32” unframed work must be oil or acrylic on stretched canvas or linen. There will be an initial opportunity to photograph the governor and one follow up meeting to discuss the composition.

Artist selection is anticipated by October 31, 2016 with a completion date for the portrait of late spring 2017; the unveiling of the portrait will take place summer of 2017. Please note, due to current travel requirements for Governor Pence, the artist’s schedule must be flexible and may include travel. All travel costs will be reimbursed.

Eligibility:  Applicant must be a resident or native of Indiana or a graduate of an Indiana institution of higher learning. Preference will be given to Indiana residents.

Application requirements:

• Completion of the online application form, including full contact information.  This is the only way to apply for this project.  Do not send materials by email or land mail.
• A resume or cv, including past portrait experience and commissions, list of their work in public collections, past exhibitions, and art training.
• An artist’s statement about the applicant's approach to portrait painting. Specific ideas about this commission may also be included but are not required.
• At least six, and up to ten, digital color samples of their portrait work, including some details. Individual images must not exceed 2MB and should be in JPG format. Each image must be clearly labeled with the name of the artist submitting it. Please submit a separate list of images, with each image filename, the full title of the work, date, media, and dimensions.
• Related documents (resume/cv, artist’s statement and list of images) must be in Microsoft Word or PDF format and uploaded at the same time.
• Required fee (in dollars) for the commission. The cost of framing should not be included in the fee.

QUESTIONS?  Questions about the application procedure should be directed to Mark Ruschman, Indiana State Museum’s Chief Curator of Fine Arts, at 317-232-1633 or mruschman@indianamuseum.org