In 2026, our nation will commemorate and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In celebration of this milestone, the Downtown Greenfield (IN) Mural Committee, Hancock County Tourism, and Hancock County Visitors Bureau will commission a new mural themed around this celebration. Artists are invited to provide their interest and qualifications for this project.
ELIGIBILITY: Professional artists age 18 or older with at least 3 previous murals completed
COMMISSION FEE: $17,000-$20,000 (selected finalists will receive $500 for a concept design)
DEADLINE: Friday, February 6, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. (timestamped)
PROJECT INFORMATION:
Hancock County is named after John Hancock, the visually most prominent signer of the Declaration of Independence. Hancock County is the second fastest growing county in Indiana; it has held fast to its rich agriculture heritage while
welcoming and encouraging an ever-growing emphasis on the arts.
The mural’s building houses the Hancock County Tourism offices and is owned by Hancock County Visitors Bureau. Both organizations are thrilled at the prospect of a 250th celebration mural being installed on the side of their building, and excited to allow the artist artistic freedom in creating the design. The building is in Greenfield’s downtown footprint and sits along the newly installed Riley Arts Trail.
The wall selected for the mural is a cinder block wall and will be power washed and sealed with a waterproof primer before the mural painting begins. The surface area for the mural is approximately 55’ to 75’ in length, and 13’ in height. There is a window located on the north end of the building. The window could be incorporated into the design, if so the length is closer to 75’. If the mural does not incorporate the window the surface area is closer to 55’.
PROJECT TIMELINE: (approximate, and subject to changes)
- January 5 – Initiate Request for Qualifications
- February 6 – End call for artists: Deadline to receive applications
- February 9 – Mural Committee Reviews RFQ’s
- February 16 – Mural Committee Notifies Artists
- April 3 – Concept Designs Due
- April 17 – Select Finalist, set meeting with artist to finalize design
- May 1 – Artists signed contract deadline
- June 1 – Deadline for final design
- July 1 – Mural installation begins
- August 2 – Mural installation completed
SELECTION PROCESS:
From the qualifications received, the mural committee will select 3 finalists to submit mural design renderings and will pay each finalist $500 for their renderings. The mural committee will award the mural commission to the winning design.
SELECTION CRITERIA:
Some criteria considered for selection include skill, creativity, appropriateness of content (should be appropriate for all audiences), evidence of completing murals of similar size, demonstration of managing a similar budget and ability to complete a mural in the allotted time frame and any other criteria deemed appropriate by the committee. Artist will be notified of their status by approximately March 1, 2026.
PROJECT BUDGET:
The budget for this installation is $17,000 – $20,000. The wall will be primed and prepped, so the artist is not responsible for this portion of the project. The height of the wall is 13’, so lift equipment isn’t necessarily required. The artist is expected to budget all materials, labor, any equipment, traveling and accommodations needed to complete the commission.
HOW TO APPLY:
Apply via the Google form at this link.
Submit the following information:
Applicant Information:
- Name of artist
- Name(s) of any partner(s)
- Contact address
- Contact email
- Contact phone #
- Social media handles/info
- Professional bio, resume or CV no longer than 3 pages
Work Samples: Provide at least 3 examples (maximum 10) of past work that best represents your experience, style, and ability as it relates to this project. In addition, you may also submit images of any other work (large scale or otherwise) that best represents your work over the past 5 years.
- Name your submitted digital files according to the following format: FirstLast_01.jpg, FirstLast_02.jpg, etc
- Digital files should be in .jpg or .pdf format and not exceed 1MB per image.
- Include a list of the work samples with as much information about each of the samples as possible (include name/title of piece, location, medium, process, dimensions, year completed, cost/price/commission amount, and any other pertinent information).
DELIVERY OF APPLICATIONS: All required materials must be uploaded or otherwise delivered electronically by
February 6, 2026 by 4:00 pm (EDT).
QUESTIONS? Contact Lyndi Grubb, downtownmuralsgreenfield@gmail.com or 317-372-6279