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We are excited to invite Washington-based artists to submit existing samples of work to be considered for the opportunity to design a new mural in downtown Seattle!

About the Project
1305 Stewart is a new, 15-story life sciences building located in the Cascade neighborhood on the edge of The Denny Triangle. One component of the project is a large-scale mural running alongside the north wall of Upper Denny Way, the bridge overpass over I-5.

We’re seeking WA-based visual artists and/or creative teams that have a connection to the Cascade neighborhood or otherwise feel like they can represent it well. Emerging, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ artists are strongly encouraged to apply. You must be interested in making public artwork with some involvement from the community. You don’t necessarily have to have prior mural-making experience to be considered (see Selection Criteria below).

About the Site
The site is on the eastern border of the Cascade neighborhood, which has historically been a municipal crossroads and is a critical point of intersection within the city, both in regards to transit as well as cultural, social and economic diversity. This project is intended to welcome visitors by shining light on the area’s rich history as well as celebrating current initiatives to revitalize the community. The site is across from YouthCare, an organization which provides services to at-risk youth, and will sit atop the current footprint of El Corazón, home to over 100 years of local music and industrial history. It is also located near the bustling technology and innovation hub of South Lake Union.

Photos of the area where the mural will be installed are shown in the submission form.

About the Process
The mural will be produced by Urban ArtWorks, a Seattle-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization who builds community through public artwork and whose mission is to engage youth, artists and communities in the creation of public artwork that inspires connections and honors their voices.

As part of the production process we will host Community Paint Days, during which we invite members of the community to participate in the production of the artwork. Typically, Community Paint Days of this scale can include anywhere between 50-100 people of different ages and skill levels.

A Mural Committee including key stakeholders from the neighborhood, project team, and Seattle Design Commission has been established to create a narrative and direction for the mural’s vision, as well as provide input and feedback on local artist portfolios and proposals.

For this phase of the submission process, we ask that Artists submit 5-10 completed samples of work for Committee review—we are not asking for new ideas or proposals at this time. Please submit photos in JPG or PNG format as single images; do not collage multiple images into one file.

Narrative and Vision
From the portfolio submissions received, (2) finalists will be selected to submit site-specific concept designs based on the project vision and narrative. Below are some guiding themes and inspiration to keep in mind as you select work from your portfolio for Committee review. Ultimately, these ideas will help guide how you might craft a proposal, if selected as a finalist:

Social justice, including housing stability and affordability
Environmental sustainability
Represent the multicultural nature of the whole community
Include bright colors that are cheerful, hopeful, and welcoming
Honor the area’s tie to music and nod to the iconic El Corazon music venue, where notable musicians such as Jimi Hendrix, Sonny & Cher, and the Fabulous Wailers have played in the past
Looks toward innovation, progress, and a sustainable future in an upbeat manner that invites more life and vitality to the area
Evoke a spirit of place that simultaneously captures the hope and grit of this area
Finalists are strongly encouraged to do site-specific research and spend some time immersing themselves in the area.

Timeline and Compensation:

Jan 26-Feb12: RFQ (Request for Qualifications) Submissions window open
Feb 12-20: Submissions received, organized, presented to/reviewed by committee
Feb 21-23: Finalist selection
Feb 26/7: Finalists notified and RFP (Request for Proposal) issued
March 12: Concepts submitted
March 13-15: RFPs review by committee and muralist selected
Spring 2024: Final mural design developed
Spring/Summer 2025: Mural installed

Each of the (2) finalists will be compensated $1,000 each for their concepts in the RFP phase. After review of the submissions from both finalists, one artist (or artist team) will be selected to proceed with designing the mural.

The selected Artist will be compensated a minimum $12,000 for designing and helping to produce the mural. This amount is separate and in addition to the $1,000 proposal fee. The final amount will depend on artist experience, involvement with the community events, and production labor needed to complete the mural once the paint day is over. The Artist’s specific scope of work and responsibilities will be developed and clearly defined as part of contracting with Urban ArtWorks prior to the start of the mural.

All supplies and equipment will be provided by Urban ArtWorks, as well as skilled production support.

Selection Criteria
Submissions will be evaluated with the following criteria in mind:

Ability to complete the project given scope, budget and timeline
Ability to create a design that can be painted by the community
Quality of work and attention to detail
Interest in the project’s narrative and connection to the area
Experience (emerging artists are encouraged to apply! It is OK if you do not have prior mural-making experience; Urban ArtWorks will help produce the art on large scale with help from the community).

How to Submit
To express your interest in this project, use the form below(if you have any issues opening the form, please try another browser). Submissions are due by end of the day February 12th.

If you still have issues opening or using the form, you may email your submission to Alex Nason (alex@urbanartworks.org) and CM Ruiz (cm@urbanartworks.org) with images of your work samples as attachments.

Digital submissions are strongly preferred if possible, although we are also accepting hard-copy submissions. If mailing your submission, please post-mark your submission no later than February 12th and address it to:

Urban ArtWorks
815 Seattle Blvd S
Ste B7, Seattle, WA
98134

Please email Alex Nason and CM Ruiz with any questions, issues, etc.

Thank you and we look forward to seeing your work!

https://www.jotform.com/form/240257522879060

Opportunity Website

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