Small Town Big Art: 2021/2022 Call for Public Art in Wailuku, HI

Small Town Big Art (ST*BA) is a creative placemaking collaboration of the County of Maui and Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House/Maui Historical Society, developed through a 2018-2020 Our Town grant by the National Endowment for the Arts. The program aims to develop a public arts district focused on the distinctive sense of place, history and culture of Wailuku, HI. Monthly art installations including plays, murals, sculptures, storytelling events and more are created with community input that align with ʻōlelo from Mary Kawena Pukui's ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Political Sayings. Each artwork is spearheaded by professional artists who have submitted project applications exhibiting exceptional quality, style, experience in creating communal or public art and significance to Wailuku.

Two open opportunities are currently available: 1) Public Art Inspired by Wailuku Storytellers, and 2) The Wailuku Wings Project. Artists may apply as a single artist or multi-person collaborative group. Applications must include: artist/s bio, résumé (one to two pages highlighting professional accomplishments and experience in communal or public art with two references), statement of interest outlining design approach and experience working with diverse communities, project description (may select a proverb as theme or one will be selected during project development), and project budget in increments of $100. Work samples may include up to 5 images, 3 audio files, and 3 video files (minimum 3 total samples, maximum 6). Entry fee is $10.00. Up to 10 applications per artist are allowed.

Selected artists will be contracted to co-develop an innovative project with the ST*BA team that engages a diverse public audience. The process includes project development workshops, community engagement activities, proverb identification in partnership with Hale Hōʻikeʻike, and a public unveiling. 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. Artists will be required to provide all tools, equipment, technology, knowledge and labor necessary to execute the proposed project. The County retains ownership of video and photo documentation; artists retain copyright of their works. Project budgets vary per category as listed at https://www.smalltownbig.org/rfp.html.