Artist Fee: $3,000 (Covers artist design, travel, and labor for a 50 sq. ft. mural surface); up to $2000 additional is available for paint materials and consumable supplies.
Deadline for Applications
Sunday, May 18, 2024, at 11:59 PM. (EDT). Apply online.
Project Information
The City of Martinsville, Indiana is looking to place an original mural (5’ by 10’) to be painted on panels and affixed to the alley side exterior wall of what will be the city’s civic theatre.
The goal of this project is to bring public art into the community and celebrate the history of what was once a movie house on the downtown square. The selected artist may wish to incorporate some of the history of the building into their design or may wish to incorporate other themes of interest relating to the history of Martinsville. (The alley where the mural is to be located connects the theatre to the city’s outdoor performance venue.)
The selected artist’s scope will be to partner with the city and to: (1) create a mural design for presentation to the Martinsville Planning Commission for their approval (as the mural will be in the city’s historical district); (2) prepare a mural on panels according to the approved design; (3) supervise the accurate installation of the mural panels, and (4) appear at the dedication/community celebration of the mural’s placement.
The cost of the panels and the panel installation by a third-party vendor is the responsibility of the City of Martinsville. The artist is not responsible for procuring or installing the panels, however, the artist may be consulted as to sources or their preferred vendor. The panels may be affixed in advance to the building and the selected artist then paints the mural on site or the mural may be prepared on the panels in the artist’s studio and transferred to the site (the panel contractor will handle transportation of the panels to and from the studio).
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for this project, artists must:
- Be 18 years of age or older (the city cannot contract with anyone under 18 years of age.)
- Be legally allowed to work in the United States (e.g., must have US citizenship or legal permanent resident (“green card”) status, or have USCIS work authorization documentation stating that you can work for any employer. Learn more.)
- Live within a 2-hour driving commute of Martinsville, Indiana
- Carry liability insurance for the duration of the project with a minimum of $1M in commercial general liability coverage
- Be able to meet your home state’s worker compensation insurance requirements (or provide a state-certified exemption, if applicable)
All other qualifications being equal, preference will be given to applicants who live in Morgan County, Indiana, or a contiguous county (Brown, Hendricks, Johnson, Monroe, or Putnam). Applicants are eligible regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, marital or familial status, veteran, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, and gender expression or identity. Artist teams are eligible to apply, including teams of artists from multiple disciplines or artist-led teams with non-artist members. Selection panelists and their immediate family members are not eligible for participation. No artist sitting on a selection panel may submit a proposal for the project for which the Selection Panel was formed.
Selection Process
The selection process welcomes the submission of artist qualifications (which should include a list of references from previous projects) and examples of past work. These materials will be evaluated by a selection panel, which will then commission one artist to create and install a site-specific design.
Minimum Qualifications
A minimally qualified application will have ALL the following:
a. The artist’s submission reveals a basic understanding of and the nature of the work contained in the project description.
b. The artist’s resume reveals a record of practice in the art field, including successfully fulfilling public art commissions.
c. The applicant submits photographs of at least two (2) completed public mural projects (preferably showing murals executed on panels) which demonstrate knowledge and comfort with mural projects.
d. The artist’s past work reveals aesthetic, conceptual, and technical expertise in mural work.
Selection Criteria
The City of Martinsville, Indiana will select the commissioned artist based upon the following criteria:
- A record of effectively executed work of the highest technical caliber
- Demonstrated experience working within program guidelines
- Verified ability to complete work within a specified timeframe
- Record of projects with strong visual impact on pedestrian and vehicular traffic
- Personal aesthetic displays appropriateness of content (should be appropriate for all audiences)
- Style and aesthetics that are appropriate to the community and desirable for the site and for all audiences
Selection Panel
The selection panel will be comprised of the following:
- Arts and Entertainment Committee Representative
- Chamber of Commerce Representative
- Convention and Visitors Bureau Representative
- Community Foundation Representative
- Mayor’s Office Representative
Compensation
The selected artist will receive $3,000 as compensation for the work associated with this project. Included in this budget are the artist’s fee, insurance, travel, site consultation/recommendations on art placement and oversight of the placement of the completed art. Up to an additional $2,000 will be available for paints and needed supplies. The cost of the panels will be paid by the city.
Project Timeline
The project will follow this timeline:
April 14, 2025 Release of Request for Qualifications
May 18, 2025 Request for Qualifications Deadline
May 21, 2025 Selection Committee Reviews RFQs and Selects Artist
June 30, 2025 Deadline for Artist to submit final design to be submitted to Planning Commission for their July 22, 2025, meeting. (The commission’s deadline for agenda items is July 2, 2025)
July 23, 2025 Planning Commission’s approval transmitted to the artist. Work on the mural may begin.
September 15-19, 2025 Completion of mural on the building
September 21, 2025* Dedication and Community Celebration
*Proposed date
Application Process
Please have the following information when Submitting your online application.
- Applicant Information: Name of artist, name(s) of any working partner(s), contact address, contact email, contact phone number, social media handles/info
- Professional Bio, Resume or CV: Upload a document no longer than three (3) pages. Team applications should include information about all team members.
- Artist Statement: Upload a single page document with your current Artist Statement.
- Statement of Interest: Type or paste a brief explanation of your interest in the project and any applicable experience you may have with the project parameters as you understand them. In this statement, also provide a discussion of any personal or professional connection you may have with the City of Martinsville, Indiana and/or Morgan County, Indiana. (Maximum length: 500 words)
- Work Samples: Provide up to three (3) images of recent work that best represent 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 3-5 years. Name your submitted digital files according to the following format: FirstLast_01.jpg, FirstLast_02.jpg, etc. and 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 11:59 PM (EDT) on Sunday, May 18, 2025. Download a printable version of the application.
Submit Online Application for the 2025 Downtown Martinsville Mural Project
QUESTIONS? Contact Mack Porter, Executive Assistant to the Mayor, City of Martinsville, Indiana.
Download the Mural for Downtown Martinsville, Indiana Project Information