---

Fellowfield Discovery Park is seeking proposals for a mural to be installed in an outdoor location at our new education center in Pittsfield Township, Michigan.

Fellowfield Discovery Park is a 501(3)(c) non-profit, devoted to promoting stewardship for just and healthy places. Rather than treating social and environmental concerns as separate issues, Fellowfield invites visitors to explore how social factors and local environmental conditions interact with each other. Visitors will learn about nature, local history, culture, and stewardship practices as they explore interactive discovery stations and playscapes located throughout the park or participate in scheduled education programs. The park is currently under development and not yet open to the public.
Fellowfield is located on 10 acres of forest, wetlands, and meadow between Ann Arbor and Saline in Pittsfield Township, Michigan. Invasive plants are well-established in some areas and habitat restoration is an important goal for the park. To learn more about Fellowfield, visit our website at www.fellowfielddiscoverypark.org or contact us with questions at contact@fellowfielddiscoverypark.org.

Mural details:
The mural will serve as an educational ‘talking point’ and contribute aesthetically to the natural landscape. It will be located on the southern edge of a wildflower meadow facing north and easily seen at a distance (from a wetland boardwalk and raised viewing tower) as well as up close (from nearby trails). The mural will be integrated into the meadow’s discovery station. At this station, information and activities focus on the driving question: “How can we repair relationships?” In particular, visitors to this learning station will explore what kind of actions help restore relationships in a context where trust and health have been lost through systemic oppression, exploitation, abuse, neglect, or other injury.
The artwork will serve as a focal point for visitors to reflect and discuss. The mural will enhance this learning station by creatively illustrating one or more of the following themes:
I. Interrupting racism, encouraging diversity, and recentering indigenous life influences the health and function of both social and ecological systems.
II. There are parallels between the restorative practices to repair human relationships and the practices we use to restore ecosystems.
III. Specific actions to support health and justice are interconnected, and though some actions may appear small, they contribute to larger systemic change under the right conditions.

The mural will be created on an underlying surface of the artist’s choosing and then mounted to wooden fence panels along the south edge of the meadow. The fence panel surface is made up of horizontal planks spaced slightly apart. This will be the surface that the mural will be mounted on. All materials must be appropriate for display outdoors year-round in Michigan weather. The finished mural may be up to 8 feet high and 24 feet wide but not less than 6 feet high and 18 feet wide.

Additional information about the surroundings
• A row of old oak and hickory trees along the south edge of the park property will stand directly behind the display and serve as a backdrop for the artwork.
• There will be a section of mowed grass directly in front of the mural, providing an area for people to gather and examine the artwork up close.
• The surrounding meadow is a strip of land 50 feet deep and over 1,000 feet long with no woody vegetation. Restoration to native Michigan wildflowers and grasses is in progress, so new vegetation will be establishing in this area over the next few years.
• Swallow, bluebird, bat, and native bee houses will be located nearby.
• Interpretive signs in the meadow will share native plant names and cultural connections as well as information about the land’s local history and topics such as settler colonization, decolonization, and restorative practices.

Funding: The park has some dedicated funds for this project in hand, and we are willing to pursue further donor funding if needed. We ask that the artist provide a budget for their work. The budget should include the cost of materials.

A complete application will include:
• A completed online registration form with name, contact information, and mural title. The registration form may be found at: https://forms.gle/F3oh1koRmRpjnUyH9
• An email sent to contact@fellowfielddiscoverypark.org with four attachments, formatted as PDF or Word documents.
• Attachments, including
1) MURAL CONCEPT
-An illustration depicting the proposed design with sufficient detail for the review committee to clearly picture the finished artwork.
– A written explanation of how the proposed mural aligns with one or more of the themes described above and supports Fellowfield’s mission.
2) MATERIALS
– A description of the materials to be used, including the underlying surface.
-Method for securely attaching the underlying surface to fence panels.
– Expected lifespan for the mural.
3) ARTIST CREDENTIALS
– A written explanation of why the artist feels they are well-qualified to take on this project and speak to one or more of the themes described above through their art.
4) BUDGET
– A budget to complete the work, including both materials and labor.

The deadline to submit a mural proposal is Monday, January 8 at 5 p.m. Fellowfield’s Board of Directors will review proposals and arrange a phone call with the top candidates to clarify any questions. A final decision will be made no later than February 2, 2024. Mural construction will take place in spring 2024. It is our goal to unveil the finished mural as part of a native-planting volunteer event in summer 2024.

https://forms.gle/F3oh1koRmRpjnUyH9

Opportunity Website

---