WESTAF Women's Suffrage Mural Commission

WESTAF (Western States Arts Federation) is commissioning the creation of a mural related to Women's Suffrage to mark the centennial of the landmark legislation that granted women the right to vote. The mural or series of murals will be painted along the canals located within the median across from the Montbello Student Campus near the intersection of Crown Boulevard and 51st Avenue in Denver's Montbello neighborhood. The canals are approximately 720 ft. in length x 16 ft. in width. Artist(s) will not be permitted to paint within 3 inches of the water line. The mural is expected to last at least five years, with a portion of the budget set aside for maintenance.

This call is limited to artists that reside within the 13-state WESTAF region (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawai'i, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming) and reside within 350 miles from Denver, CO. WESTAF will prioritize submissions from artists/artist groups that identify as being from historically marginalized communities, particularly those with a knowledge of the Montbello community and who identify as female. Project goals include the engagement of under-represented artists and collaborators that bring contemporary perspectives to the public realm; achieving a visually engaging design that becomes a platform for educational outreach; and involving the local creative economy in the development, fabrication, installation, and maintenance of the project.

$18,000 will be awarded for this commission, including all artist fees for community engagement, mural design, materials, fabrication and installation on site, insurance, transportation, maintenance, and project coordination. Submittal requirements include a professional resume (artist teams must submit resumes for each member), a letter of interest outlining your interest in the project and a preliminary statement of approach to community engagement, confirmation of eligibility, and up to 10 images of completed projects (do not include conceptual drawings, proposals, or renderings). Up to two finalists will be selected for interviews/presentations and will be paid a stipend of $1,000. Interviews will likely be held virtually. This project was made possible through a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Federal Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission.