Call for Artists: Mural for Regan Hospital Courtyard

Rhode Island State Council on the Arts seeks artists to create a mural for the courtyard of the Regan Unit at Eleanor Slater Hospital in Cranston, Rhode Island. This is a public art commission with a budget of $65,000, funded through Rhode Island's Public Art Law, which mandates that 1% of all state capital construction and renovation funds be allocated to public art.

The Regan Unit is a psychiatric division undergoing complete renovation. The selection panel has specified that the mural should be figurative, realistic, and reference the natural world or Rhode Island landscape. The artwork should be calming, peaceful, and soothing; feel homey; and create a sense of connection, perhaps through imagery that evokes Rhode Island or New England. Bright colors, abstraction, and geometrics should be avoided. The mural will be installed on the ground-level Regan wall in the courtyard using the polytab or "parachute cloth" method. The artist will be responsible for all aspects including design, wall preparation, materials, installation, protective topcoat, equipment, and insurance. Artwork must not create a hazard or be utilized as a weapon and will be subject to facility review.

At this preliminary stage, applicants should submit six images of current work (completed within the past 15 years), a written statement or resume, and references through CaFÉ. There is no application fee. The selection panel will invite three finalists to create site-specific proposals; finalists will each receive a $1,500 stipend. Eligibility is open to professional artists residing in Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Undergraduate students are excluded. The application deadline is July 14, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. EST.