Colorado Council on the Arts: Gallery of Presidents Commission

The Colorado Council on the Arts is seeking an artist to paint portraits of two U.S. Presidents for the Gallery of Presidents at the Colorado State Capitol. The Gallery was established in 1982 and features a collection of oil portraits of U.S. Presidents painted by Lawrence Williams. The artist commissioned for the next two Presidents should have a similar style and will set the delineation of form, feature and character for future portraits.

Portrait specifications: Individual portrait busts, oil on canvas measuring 24" high by 20" wide, unframed. All frames are 4 1/2" wide with a narrow linen liner and finished with a slightly antiqued gold wash. The painting style should be consistent with the existing collection, using earth tones with backgrounds in shaded tones of dark brown into light tans and beiges. Subjects should be clothed in the style of their day painted in somber greys and blacks.

Budget: $10,000 to $15,000 is available for each portrait for all related expenses including artist fees, portrait, frame, insurance, shipping, travel, installation, documentation, etc. Eligibility: Open to all artists; all applicants must be legal residents of the United States. Certain projects may give preference to those residing in Colorado. Application deadline: September 16, 2009 at 5 p.m. MDT. Finalists will be notified November 15, 2009. Installation of artwork: early May 2010, if possible. Applicants must submit six digital images of previous portraits of six different individuals, a resume, and a statement of interest (no more than 2,000 characters) via CaFÉ online application system. There is no application fee.