Augusta's 5th Street Mural Festival

The Greater Augusta Arts Council is seeking up to 47 original mural proposals for a mural festival in downtown Augusta, Georgia. The murals will measure 3 feet high and either 10 feet or 20 feet wide, positioned side by side along walls on the abutments lining both sides of 5th Street between Reynolds Street and the 5th Street Freedom Pedestrian Bridge. Only the walls facing inward toward 5th Street, accessed from the sidewalk, will be painted.

Artists must submit a new mock-up design created specifically for this mural, not past works. There is no required theme, and a variety of creative designs is desired. However, one 40-foot wall section is reserved for a mural celebrating Women in the Military. Artists are welcome to apply with multiple mural designs, which will be scored separately. Stipends are $1,000 for a 10-foot mural, $2,000 for a 20-foot mural, and $4,000 for the 40-foot Women in the Military mural.

Painting will take place April 20-27, 2024, during daylight hours as part of a festive celebration with public attendance invited. All high-quality outdoor acrylic paint from Sherwin-Williams will be provided; no outside paints are allowed. Basic brushes will be provided, though artists may bring their own supplies. The wall is approximately 3 feet high, so no lifts or ladders will be needed. For the Women in the Military mural, designs should include all military branches, women from diverse ethnic groups, both enlisted and officers, and if possible, pioneering women in the U.S. Military such as Cathay Williams, Deborah Sampson, and Opha Mae Johnson. Selection will be made by the Augusta Public Art Advisory Panel, representatives from the Porter Fleming Foundation and Augusta Woman's Club, and a woman veteran. Artists residing in eligible counties (South Carolina: Aiken, Edgefield; Georgia: Burke, Columbia, Jefferson, Richmond) receive one extra point.