O.J. Watson Park Murals Request for Qualifications

The City of Wichita invites professional artists and artist teams with demonstrated experience completing permanent outdoor public art projects to submit qualifications for a $25,000 public art commission for outdoor murals at O.J. Watson Park. Emerging artists are encouraged to apply. The project is scheduled to begin in late 2025, with execution anticipated to be completed in mid-2026.

Four murals will be painted on O.J. Watson Park's four public restroom facilities located throughout the park. The facilities are constructed with CMU block walls, recently painted in beige, and in good condition. Each mural will face a different direction: Pony Stables (north-facing towards road), Concessions (south-facing towards parking lot), Entrance (north-facing towards road), and Playground (west-facing towards road). The City envisions murals that are contextually relevant to the park's aesthetic and act as landmarks. Artwork can represent activities and amenities including fishing, pony rides, miniature golf, paddle boating, kayaking, volleyball, and mini-train rides, or the park's natural and environmental landscape qualities. Artwork must be durable and suitable to extreme Kansas weather. Audial/lighting components and found objects are not permitted.

The total art budget is $25,000, distributed as follows: Pony Stables $5,500, Concessions $8,500, Entrance $5,500, and Playground $5,500. The budget is inclusive of all costs from design through site preparation, materials, and execution. Four artists will be selected, each commissioned to produce one mural. Applicants must be professional artists or artist teams located in the Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area (Sedgwick, Butler, Harvey, Kingman, and Sumner counties). Applications must include five to ten images of relevant past work with annotated list (scale, budget, medium, year installed, location), a one-page Letter of Interest describing project approach and ranking location preferences, resume or CV, and three professional references. Selection will be based on artistic excellence, creative process, ability in mural art and outdoor durability, and meaningful relationship of creative and conceptual aspects to the project's art vision. Interviews may be used if rankings are close. Questions should be emailed to Ranim Abiali at [email protected] by 11/10/2025, 4:00 p.m. CST.