Call for Artists

Midland Greenway Mural Design

Gainesville Parks and Recreation (Gainesville, GA) is issuing a Call for Mural Designs for an outdoor fitness court placed prominently along the Midland Greenway.  The design will be recreated digitally on anti-graffiti vinyl for installation by a 3rd party. Artist/Artist Team of chosen design will receive a $5,000 grant awarded from the National Fitness Campaign once artwork is fully installed (estimated installation late Summer/early Fall).

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS

Monday, May 2, 2022 at 11:59pm (EST)

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must live, work or study in Georgia and be 14 years of age or older.

DESIGN CRITERIA

  • Design proposals can be created digitally or hand-created (i.e., painted, illustrated).
  • Artwork proposals must be to scale and no smaller than 16''L x 3.5”H. 
  • Selected artist must recreate design to scale for a 32’L x 7’H wall and no smaller than 64”L x 14"H. Final artwork must be submitted in file formats ai, .eps, png. svg, .pdf for digital reproduction at 300dpi.
  • Artist or Artist/Team may submit digital artwork/design proposals from their existing portfolios or create an original piece(s) intended for this installation. 
  • Artwork should reflect an Urban, Contemporary look that could become Gainesville’s most visited selfie destination.
  • Preference may be given to designs which incorporate a 3-dimensional element(s). 
  • Multiple designs may be submitted.
  • Designs must compliment or use selected Fitness Court powder coated RAL 2008 9840-2473R Bright Red OrangeRAL. 
  • Designs must not reference young children or playgrounds. (This is for safety purposes to avoid confusion; this is not a children’s playground). 
  • Avoid park or fitness themes. Think outside the box!
  • Artwork cannot contain trademark images, logos, tag lines, or be in any way thematically linked to a commercial business, establishment, product, or service. Overt religious and political themes or symbolism will be declined. Designs that depict violence or contain obscenities will be rejected.

INSTALLATION CRITERIA

  • Selected artwork will be digitally sized for a 32’L x 7’H mural wall. The side-edge of the main wall will be reserved for the artist’s/team’s photo, logo, and short bio/description.  
  • The digital design will be printed onto an anti-graffiti laminate vinyl.
  • Gainesville Parks and Recreation will be responsible for the cost of printing and installing the artwork.  

SITE INFORMATION

The Midland Greenway is the heart of a major revitalization of a once industrial area.  Major housing developments, restaurants, and music venues are being developed in the area that is fast becoming known as the Midland Arts District. This mural will be an anchor for the district. The Midland Greenway (formerly known as the Midtown Greenway) is a vital component to connecting the Highlands to Islands Trail System to downtown Gainesville and Lake Lanier. The Fitness Court Mural will be on Banks Street between Grove Street and Queen City Parkway in Gainesville, GA. 

PROPOSAL SELECTION CRITERIA

A selection panel, composed of, local arts professionals, Gainesville Parks and Recreation staff, and community representatives will review and score the applications and make recommendations to select the artist/team.

The selection panel will review and evaluate the applications based on criteria that may include but is not limited to the following:

•    Artistic Excellence
•    Thematic Content
•    Originality

BUDGET

The all-inclusive grant award of $5,000 per artist/team must cover every cost incurred by the artist in the course of designing the artwork. Gainesville Parks and Recreation will cover the costs of insurance, installation, and permits (if required). Selection and funding are contingent upon a signed Agreement between the artist/team and Gainesville Parks and Recreation.  Artist will receive $5,000 grant upon installation of the Fitness Court (estimated installation late Summer/early Fall).

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR DESIGN(S)

  • Proposals may be submitted online only. Emailed, faxed, or hand-delivered materials will not be accepted. Applications are due NO LATER THAN Monday, May 2, 2022 at 5PM (EST). 
  • Proposal design or designs can be submitted in file formats ai, .eps, .svg, .pdf. 

Online Application
Apply/Submit Entries

SELECTED ARTIST/TEAM TO PROVIDE

  • Selected artist must recreate design to scale for a 32’L x 7’H wall and no smaller than 64”W x 14H”.  
  • Final digital file of artwork must be submitted within 2 weeks of selection and in one of the following: Adobe Illustrator (ai), Adobe PDF (pdf), Illustrator EPS (eps), Scalable Vector Graphic (svg.) (PSD, JPG or other rasterized graphics, needs to be the exact dimensions above at least 300 dpi.) *Illustrator template available upon request. 
  • Vector or high-resolution version of your signature.
  • 3-5 sentence artist bio; High-resolution image of yourself (300+ dpi, 9.5” x 9.5”).
  • Completed W-9.
  • Social Media handles and/or personal website for promotion.
  • Gainesville Parks and Recreation and the National Fitness Campaign will have the right use the artwork for promotional purposes on any platform and in any promotional format.  
  • Final selected artwork remains the property of the artist for use in reproductions for sale or otherwise.

QUESTIONS

Submit questions to Julie Butler Colombini.
All questions submitted and responses will be posted on this website (side bar)) under FAQs.