RFP Community Mural – Uptown Mt. Sterling, IL

Action Brown County, in partnership with Arts Quincy, invites proposals from qualified artists or artist teams to design and install a new community mural in Uptown Mt. Sterling. The goal is to create a visually compelling and meaningful piece of public art that reflects the spirit, history, natural beauty, and character of Brown County. The mural should enhance the streetscape, foster civic pride, and resonate with both residents and visitors.

Suggested themes include community icons (courthouse, harness horse, Tip Top Notcher pig, lemon ice cream, white-tail deer, Hornet mascot), natural beauty (rolling hills, farmland, Mt. Sterling Lake, deer, turkeys, agriculture), community events (Brown County Fair, Mt. Sterling Winter Festival), future and hope (children learning and playing), unity and belonging (symbols of connection and shared identity), economic impact (subtle inclusion of Dot Foods' role in local growth), greetings from Brown County (postcard-style mural), and local branding (elements of the new Brown County brand identity). Design must be original and distinct from existing murals located in Uptown Mt. Sterling.

Project budget must not exceed $15,000, including all artist fees, travel, materials, and equipment. Artwork will become the property of Action Brown County upon completion. Materials and techniques must ensure a lifespan of 3–5 years, with sealing methods and maintenance recommendations included. Applicants must submit a completed application form, artist resume or biography, up to 7 digital images of relevant past work, full-color scaled sketch/rendering of proposed mural, written description of the concept and community connection, description of process for scaling the work from concept to wall, list of proposed materials, proposed budget (including wall prep, equipment, production, and cleanup), and timeline for execution. Applicants with prior public art experience are strongly preferred. Artist(s) should have completed at least three public art projects within the past five years. References are required.