The City of Cedar Rapids and Advocates for Social Justice (ASJ) are seeking a local artist to paint a mural highlighting themes of social and racial justice, and celebrating the city’s diverse community.
The mural will be painted on the Five Seasons Parking Ramp at 400 1st Ave NE.
Artists interested in applying are asked to submit their qualifications by Monday, Aug. 9. Artists can submit as individuals or as part of a group.
Anyone applying should include an artist biography, brief description of why they’re interested in the project and samples of previous work. The samples should be similar in scale and medium, such as large-scale murals or paintings, and align with this project’s goals.
The city is hoping to receive applications with a wide variety of artistic styles from artists of all backgrounds, according to a news release.
According to the city, $30,000 will be available for the artist; half of the payment will be issued at the beginning of the project and the second half will be issued when the project is completed. The artist will be responsible for purchasing necessary materials and equipment, including a lift, primer, paint, painting supplies and any safety equipment.
The top candidates for the project will be chosen on Friday, Aug. 13, by a selection committee. These artists will then be invited to submit site-specific proposals, which will be due Tuesday, Sept. 7.
A final artist will be selected in mid-September with mural installation beginning either fall 2021 or spring 2022. This will be determined by the selected artist’s schedule, according to the city.
Additional submission details, as well as artist responsibilities, are included as part of the call for artists. Questions and completed submissions should be emailed to Sylvia Brueckert at s.brueckert@cedar-rapids.org.
