Arts Downtown - Murals RFQ

The Franklin County Arts Council is seeking qualified muralists or teams to create outdoor murals for three walls in Frankfort, KY as part of Arts Downtown, a multi-year public art initiative. This is Phase One of a larger project that also includes five sculptures under a separate call.

All three murals will be located in the Downtown Frankfort area, most likely on historic buildings. Locations will be announced prior to the second phase of the selection process. There is no specific theme for the murals; however, each design should fit the location. Interactive murals that allow the public to engage with the work and present photo opportunities are of particular interest, as are those using trompe l'oeil techniques. A site visit is not required but is recommended.

Any artist over the age of 18 is eligible to submit. Artists with a strong professional profile, experience in producing exterior semi-permanent public murals, and/or successful collaborative project experience are encouraged to apply. Artist teams may also apply. The budget for each mural may range from $8,000 to $20,000, depending on size and complexity. The artist's budget includes all artist fees and costs associated with design, fabrication, travel, transportation, site preparation, insurance, permits, installation, shipping, mural protective coating, equipment, applicable taxes, progress meetings, and other project costs. Artists will be required to participate in one Meet the Artist type event.

This is a two-phased selection process. Phase One involves submission of qualifications, from which up to 10 artists or artist teams will be invited to submit specific proposals in Phase Two. Selected artists will receive an honorarium of $500 in addition to the mural fee. Submissions will be judged on Artistic Excellence (maximum 40 points), Professional Experience (maximum 40 points), and Experience Working on a Project of Similar Scale (maximum 20 points). Public art experience is required.

Submissions must include: current CV/resume (one per team member), Letter of Interest limited to 1000 words, three to five images (two to three views of each piece for a total of 10 images max) of previously completed work demonstrating ability to design, create, and paint large scale outdoor murals, a brief description of intended proposed materials and protective coatings, three professional references with contact information, and optionally up to three selections of support materials. Submissions may only be submitted electronically through CaFÉ. All materials must be received by 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time on July 15, 2019. Incomplete or late submissions will not be considered. The mural will be installed in fall 2019 and will remain for an anticipated period of 7-10 years, at minimum.