Call for 2023 Mural Designs

StreetSpark, a public art program in partnership with the Fitton Center for Creative Arts, the City of Hamilton and the Hamilton Community Foundation, invites artists to design for two murals and three utility boxes to be painted during summer 2023. The program was founded to further the creative identity in Hamilton, Ohio through exciting murals and public art projects. Since the summer of 2016, seventeen murals and fourteen utility boxes have been painted in a variety of styles.

Mural applicants must submit qualifications by February 5th, 2023, after which semi-finalists will be chosen to create final designs. Utility box applicants must submit finished designs by February 5th, 2023. Mural applicants (18+) should have some mural painting experience and will submit a resume/CV, five high-quality images of previous artwork (JPEG, 2-D only), one reference letter, a simple black and white sketch using line work only (1-3 ideas), and a written description (50-100 words) of each design concept. Utility box applicants (18+, including emerging artists, students, and artist groups with members 14+) will submit a resume/CV, five high-quality images of previous artwork (JPEG, 2-D only), 1-3 utility box designs (JPEG), and a written description (150 words max) of each design. All work must be original and not taken directly from copyrighted materials.

Stipends for murals: $300 to three semi-final artists for design proposals, $700 to one final selected artist per site, plus additional payment at $25/hour to lead mural projects during summer 2023. Utility box stipends: $500 for design and $500 for painting. Equipment, supplies and administrative services are covered by StreetSpark. Semi-final mural artists will be notified February 20, 2023, with final designs due March 10, 2023. Final designs will be selected in March/April 2023. Designs will be chosen by a Selection Committee of artists, visual art professionals, and community members. Only one design per artist per year may be selected. If selected, artists must abstain from submitting designs the following year but will be invited to serve on the Design Selection Committee. All chosen artists must be available to paint during summer (June-August) 2023. A virtual Q&A session was held December 14, 2022. Past StreetSpark projects can be viewed at www.fittoncenter.org/streetspark or www.facebook.com/streetsparkart. Questions should be directed to Jennifer Acus-Smith, StreetSpark Program Manager, at [email protected].