Artist Sought for 2018 Riley Festival Heritage Mural

Artist Sought for 2018 Riley Festival Heritage Mural

 Greenfield, IN, Unknown

In honor of the 50th Anniversary of the Riley Festival (2019) as we know it today, several organizations in Greenfield have partnered to establish a mural with prominent placement in downtown Greenfield, Indiana.

The mural will be created and unveiled at the 2018 Riley Festival as the first of several events leading up to the 50th Anniversary. The mural artwork is expected to be reproduced on posters, postcards, or similar memorabilia for the Riley Festival, Riley Boyhood Home and Museum, and similar entities. The selection committee invites qualified artists experienced in large outdoor murals to submit a sample of previous work prior to May 25th, 2018. The selection committee will choose up to five artists to discuss in more detail the artist’s vision for the project.

Budget: $5,000 – $10,000, flexible (see below under Project Information for details)

Eligibility:  Professional artists working in large-scale painted mural art

Deadline:  May 23, 2018

Project Information

The project will be located on the west side of 20 W. Main Street. There are no set parameters on how much of the wall should be used, but the mural should be generally noticeable while driving on US 40.  Artists should plan to use high quality paints and/or primers respectful to historic brick and building color.  Conceptual ideas should center on James Whitcomb Riley, Festival themes over the years, and have a general heritage theme.

The main portion of the building wall is generally 35’ tall and 58’ wide, with a smaller building portion behind it. Artists are encouraged to visit the building in-person for a better understanding of the surface texture, building features, context, and visibility.

Artists should have a general idea or range of a budget when presenting the conceptual idea to the selection committee. Concepts and ideas that can be flexible to an unforeseen change in project budget are advised. A fully detailed design is not required prior to contract execution.

Upon final selection and contract execution, the artist will work with the selection committee toward a finalized design. The selection committee will limit revision requests to no more than three revisions of the design.

A final contract will be drafted between the artist, the organizations funding the mural, and the building owner that discusses the roles and responsibilities of each party. The contract will include provisions for terminating the contract if the committee and artist cannot reach a consensus on design and/or price, or if unforeseen circumstances arise for the artist and the mural cannot be completed.

Artists should be knowledgable of OSHA and safety requirements if their design will require work on scaffolding.

Twenty percent of the final cost will be disbursed to the artist no later than one month prior to beginning date for purchase of materials. Forty percent of the negotiated price will be disbursed upon the start of the project, with the remaining 40% disbursed at the completion of the project.

Murals should not advertise businesses or include logos. For further questions on what might constitute advertising, please contact Jenna Wertman at the information provided below.

For more information about the history of the Riley Festival, please see the festival page at http://rileyfestival.com/riley-festival-history-1911-1921/

Timeline

  • May 23rd, 2018:  Submissions due by 4:00 P.M.
  • May 25th:  The selection committee will notify artists of their submission status
  • Week of May 28th:  Selected artists meet with Festival representatives to discuss in detail their vision for the mural
  • September 25th:  Mural completed before this date

Submission Requirements

  • Brief description of artistic style and how that will translate to a heritage-themed mural
  • Brief description of previous experience prepping historic/brick buildings for mural art
  • Proposed brand and type of paint to be used on the mural
  • 3-5 Samples of Previous Work (murals preferred, other large-scale and public art works are acceptable samples)
  • References from previous work preferred

How to Submit

Submit the required information as email attachments to Jenna Wertman, jwertman@greenfieldin.org OR mail/deliver the information on a CD or flash drive to Jenna at 10 S State Street, Greenfield, IN 46140.  If you are submitting digitally and your file size is over 3MB per attachment, please contact Jenna to arrange alternative file transfer options.

QUESTIONS?  Contact Jenna Wertman, jwertman@greenfieldin.org