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Request for Qualifications

Overview & Guidelines:

This is a call for qualifications for a new outdoor public art project in Pullman, Washington. Located on the ceded lands of the Nimíipuu (Nez Perce) Tribe and the traditional homelands of the Palus Band of Indians, Pullman has a population of 34,000 and is home to Washington State University (WSU), which has 19,000 students and 6,000 faculty and staff. As the state land-grant research university, WSU is a statewide institution with six campuses and an Extension and Research Center in all 39 counties.

This will be a unique, site-specific painted mural and/or basrelief project designed by a professional artist and produced on-site. The work will be created on a building that houses several popular stores, including Thomas Hammer Coffee Shop and Lily Bee’s Boutique. The wall is evident from the Downtown Riverwalk pedestrian, bike, and multi-modal trail that connects Pullman’s downtown to Reaney Park and the WSU Visitor Center. Measuring roughly 100 feet wide by 22 feet high, approximately 2,200 square feet of space is available for the mural. It will need to be accessed via scaffolding as it is adjacent to running water, rock and rubble, and tall grasses.

The mural project will be implemented in the summer of 2023 and will be promoted during Pullman’s 3 Forks River and Arts Festival.

Keywords and concepts:

River, Ecology, Riparian, Nature
Site-specific
Playfulness or a hint of humor
Colorful
Peaceful
Subtle
Impressionistic
Naturalistic
Welcoming
Aspirational
Inclusivity and Diversity
Contemporary
Reflective and forward-looking
Community & Connection
This mural aims to serve as a celebration of the three rivers that converge in the downtown. The South Fork of the Palouse River, Paradise Creek, and Missouri Flat Creek create a riparian zone teaming with wildlife and vegetation. The trail brings together WSU students, residents frequenting downtown businesses, and families headed to Reaney Park and provides a ribbon of community connectivity. The mural should be welcoming and complement the peaceful and sometimes raging river. It may depict movement and should be colorful and playful.

Ultimately, the artist/artist team selected to create the final design will produce and deliver digital design files and then execute the mural on-site.

Local arts nonprofit Pullman Arts Foundation can assist with carrying out the painting if requested.

Partnership Overview:

Representatives from Downtown Pullman Association (DPA) and Pullman Arts Foundation (PAF) will lead the fundraising and artist selection process. The selection committee will review submissions and interview artists prior to being invited to create a design proposal.

DPA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and an affiliate member of the National Main Street Program with a mission to create and sustain vitality in Pullman’s historic downtown.

PAF is a 501(c)3 private non-profit organization that was initiated in 2020 as a catalyst for creative expression on the Palouse. Pullman Arts Foundation is committed to bringing positive change to Pullman by giving local artists and community members a platform to share their ideas, as well as building national and international connections with other artists and communities.

Budget/Funding:

A design concept fee of $1,000 (USD) is to be paid to each selected artist/artist team for proposal/concept development for submission to Phase 2 of the design process (RFP).
Note: Selected artists/artists teams will be asked to create and submit two unique conceptual sketches for consideration as part of the RFP Phase.
A final design fee of $3,000 (USD) will be paid to the selected finalist for continued development and finalization of the selected design concept. Note: As part of the final design phase, the artist/artist team should be prepared to move through 1-2 rounds of feedback and potential revisions from the project committee.
A separate budget will be provided to the artist/artist team upon acceptance and approval of the final design. The budget will include $9,000 (USD) for artist labor.

Timeline available on our website linked below.

Application Requirements:

Contact information
Website
Submit a minimum of three (3) and up to five (5) relevant images of completed artworks and/or commissions from the last five years.
Artworks information: For each image, list the Title, Date, Location, Media/Material, Budget, and any other pertinent information. Image type – PDF, JPG, or PNG, high resolution
Statement of Interest. Please include a short (500 words) statement of interest that describes your interest in working on this project.

Eligibility:

Professional artists and teams of artists with experience designing site-specific public art commissions within the past five (5) years are eligible, or those who can demonstrate equivalent skills and experience.
Artists of all backgrounds are encouraged to participate in the RFQ process.

Selection Criteria:

– Demonstrates prior experience with:

Designing large-scale, site-specific, permanent public artwork (murals)
Incorporating community and/or committee feedback on design development
Conducting research to inform design
Collaborating with partners, design teams, communities
Quality of work samples
Artistic aesthetic
Demonstrated understanding of or connection to the region

All attached file requires to be named in the form of “lastname_firstname_filetitle,” for example, “Kim_Lee_Statementofinterests” and “Kim_Lee_mural1.”

The Palouse region offers unparalleled beauty, a unique landscape, rural charm, four distinct seasons, and thousands of acres with outstanding photo opportunities. Wiggle your toes in the sand at the dunes, bike the 38 miles of paved trails, or play a round of golf at one of seven golf courses. Grab your camera before you go because there are countless opportunities to capture that picture-perfect shot!

Experience all that Pullman has to offer, from outdoor adventures to a vibrant downtown! Theater, music, art galleries, and dance fill our downtown with activities for the community and visitors both.

Whether it’s a Cougar Football Game or the National Lentil Festival, Pullman serves up fun year-round!

https://pullmanartsfoundation.org/pullman-wa-riverside-mural/

Opportunity Website

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