Zip US Up! Collaborative Art Project - Public Exhibition and Sale

Zip US Up! is a collaborative art project selecting 40 artists from around the country to create individual canvas panels that will be zipped together to form a 175-foot mural. The mural will be exhibited in the windows of the Youth Wing of the Baldwin Public Library in Birmingham, Michigan, a prominent location overlooking Shain Park in downtown Birmingham.

Selected artists will receive a primed canvas panel (18" H x approximately 56" L) with Riri metal zippers sewn along each side. Artists are required to collaborate virtually with adjacent artists to create a cohesive piece that represents their own artistic style while using predetermined connecting points. There is no requirement on theme, genre, colors, or style as long as there is visible cohesion or flow between adjacent panels. Acrylic paint is recommended; oil paint and high impasto are not allowed due to shipping requirements. Artists must ensure zipper teeth and paths are not covered by paint.

Eligibility is open to anyone over 18 nationally. Entry fee is $35 (nonrefundable). Applicants must submit 3-5 JPEG photos of current or past work and a 500-word maximum artist statement explaining why the project is meaningful to them. Selected artists will be notified by June 26, 2022, and must attend virtual kickoff and midpoint check-in meetings. The exhibition runs October 2021-May 2022. Each of the 40 selected artists receives a Zip US Up! T-shirt, silver pin, premium coffee beans, and tea. A Collaborative 1st Prize of $2,100 (or higher based on fundraising) will be equally divided among the 3 artists with the best collaboration. Art will be listed for sale through Townsend Street Gallery, with artists receiving 70% of their specified sale price and the gallery retaining 30% as commission. Artists are responsible for return shipping costs of unsold artwork. Offensive, vulgar, or nude artwork is not permitted.