Small Town Big Art: 2021 Call for Public Art in Wailuku, HI

Small Town Big Art is pleased to announce its program continuation into 2021. New opportunities for experienced visual and performing artists to create collaborative works of public art throughout Wailuku will be released over the coming months, with examples including installation artwork in Wells Park; a temporary 375-foot construction fence mural project in the Wailuku municipal parking lot; a Wailuku oral history project; a shading installation at Kīpuka Square; and pop-up performances.

Developed through a 2018-2020 Our Town grant by the National Endowment for the Arts, Small Town Big Art is a creative placemaking collaboration of County of Maui and Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House Museum/Maui Historical Society that aims to develop Wailuku, Hawaiʻi as a public arts district focused on its distinctive sense of place, history and culture. All professional artists are welcome to apply, regardless of race, color, creed, gender, gender variance, sexual orientation, national origin, age, religion, marital status, political opinion or affiliation, or mental or physical disability. The program particularly welcomes submissions in the following categories: New Media Projects (Light or Projection Installations, Video Projection, etc.); Fine Art Performances (Pop-up Performances, Street Performances, Happenings, etc.); Interactive or Participatory Projects; and Experiential Art Installations.

Applicants may apply as a single artist or multi-person collaborative group. Entry fee is $5.00. Work sample requirements: 2-7 total samples maximum, consisting of up to 5 images, 2 audio files, and 2 video files. Selected artists will be commissioned to co-develop an innovative project with the Small Town Big Art team that engages a diverse public audience. Themes must address the distinct sense of place, history and/or culture of Wailuku, Maui, HI. Applications will be reviewed by an evaluation panel with selection criteria aimed at quality, style, experience in creating communal or public art, significance to Wailuku and a proven track record of successful collaboration work. Artists will be required to provide all tools, equipment, technology, knowledge and labor necessary to successfully execute the proposed project. The County shall retain ownership of video/photo documentation and may choose to promote or display the work publicly at a later date. Artists shall retain ownership of the copyright of the works.