Putnam County Mural Project Seeks Artists

Putnam County Mural Project Seeks Artists

Website: https://www.putnamcountymuralproject.org/

 Greencastle, IN, Unknown

The Putnam County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (PCCVB) is seeking artists experienced with large-scale mural painting to paint murals on grain silos at the intersection of Veterans Highway and Rt. 231 in the southern corridor of Greencastle, Indiana.

BUDGET:  $22,500 artist fee: all necessary expenses to be covered separately by the PCCVB

ELIGIBILITY:  Professional artists age 18 and over

DEADLINE:  June 28, 2019 5:00 p.m. (online application)

Project Description

Mural art has the ability to transform communities by celebrating heritage, creating civic pride, and enriching lives through participatory art-making. This is best accomplished when murals are used to activate spaces in areas that are otherwise overlooked. The Putnam County Mural Project will produce one of Indiana’s largest mural sites during the month of September 2019. The “canvas” will be the four south-facing silos of S&W Feed Center, located at the intersection of Veterans Highway and Rt. 231 in the Southern corridor of Greencastle, IN.

The mural will beautify and activate this area of the community. The site location also happens to be the future site of a People Pathways trail-link that will provide residents with a perfect viewing area of the artwork from across the road.

​Through this project, the PCCVB will engage the community by hosting capacity-building workshops and presentations for artists interested in learning more about murals, mural process, and its positive effect on neighborhoods. The selection process invites community members to vote on style and content of the mural at booths positioned at various events and common meeting areas through the months of May & June.

Putnam County at A Glance

Putnam County is located about a half hour west of Indianapolis, IN. We are a rural county, with a strong agricultural history. Home to historic 19th century covered bridges, Putnam County welcomes visitors with more land in protected nature preserves than any other in Indiana County, making it ideal for hikers, bikers, horseback riders, star gazers, and plant lovers. Greencastle serves as the county seat and hosts dozens of downtown restaurants offering expansive and unique local food and drink, nestled along tree-lined streets with awesome boutique shopping, candy stores, and ice cream. It’s all walkable to DePauw University, with its Peeler Arts Center and Green Performing Arts Center and an incredible, wooded campus dating to the 1830s. Music is everywhere, from the DePauw School of Music, to Music on the Square, to the Greencastle Summer Music Festival and the Greencastle Civic League ParkFest, and bands performing in pubs and eateries yearround.

About the Putnam County Mural Project

During the Fall of 2018, the Putnam County Convention and Visitors Bureau formed a small committee of community stakeholders to develop a plan for public art in Putnam County. This project developed into a large scale mural project, which is now known as the Putnam County Mural Project. The team is comprised of artists, arts administrators, tourism directors, fundraisers, and marketers. The mission is to enrich lives in Putnam County, Indiana by engaging the community in participatory mural projects that activate spaces, build artistic capacity, and celebrate who we are.

Project Goals

  • Activate space through creative placemaking efforts
  • Engage the community in participatory art-making
  • Build community interest in public art
  • Develop local artists & community members’ skills in mural technique/application through capacity-building workshops

Site Specifications

The site is located at 700 Broadway Street in Greencastle, Indiana, on the corner of Veterans Memorial Parkway and US 231 in Greencastle, Indiana. There are 4 silos total and a total of 8,000 square feet of mural space.

Timeline

  • June 28, 2019 — Deadline for RFQ Submissions @ 5pm
  • July 8 — Selection Committee Review of Applicants
  • July 12 — Artist Selection Announced
  • July 19 — Artist Contract DUE
  • July 31 — Two Renderings DUE from Artist
  • August 2 — Community Votes on Final Two Concepts
  • August 2019 — Silo Prep Work (completed by PCMP)
  • September 2019 — Mural Installation

Selection Process

Between May 1—June 8, the team will be present at public events and spaces throughout Putnam County with the goal to engage as many Putnam County residents in the mural selection process as possible. We are asking residents to provide input on the style and content of the future mural, which will be painted in September 2019. After the six weeks of community input, the team will quantify the results and use the findings to inform the selection panel. This panel—which represents a diverse cross-section of the Putnam County community—will be tasked with using the community’s input to narrow down applicants to design and paint the mural. Once an artist has been selected, they will be asked to provide two renderings for the proposed mural art. These two renderings will be up for a community vote during the Greencastle First Friday on August 2.  Once the design is selected, the artist will begin work on the mural during the month of September 2019.

Selection Criteria

​​Applicants must demonstrate the following qualifications:

  • Artistic excellence
  • Conceptual and material approach, in accordance with the project’s stated goals and themes (themes will be based on community input).
  • Completion of online application (www.putnamcountymuralproject.org/apply)
  • Openness to working collaboratively with the project team members and community
  • Artist must carry (or be willing to carry) their own artist insurance.
  • Experience with operating a 70ft. boom lift (license to operate such a lift will be required)

​What to Submit

  1. Artist information (name, address, phone number, email address, contact information, links to website and social media
  2. CV/Resume (pdf)
  3. Portfolio showcasing prior mural experience, preferably 5-10 pdf/jpeg images •
  4. 500 words max. written statement explaining a previous arts project that engaged the community or involved collaboration
  5. 500 words max. statement on why this project appeals to you
  6. Written artist statement (pdf)

How to Submit

Submit online no later than June 28, 2019 (5:00 p.m.) at https://www.putnamcountymuralproject.org/apply 

QUESTIONS?  Contact Alexandra Chamberlain, putnamcountymuralproject@gmail.com . You can also follow the project on Facebook and Instagram, @putnamcountymuralproject