Centro San Antonio, a nonprofit organization that manages the City’s downtown Public Improvement District, has announced a mural open call for Bexar County artists.
As part of Centro’s Art Everywhere Project, a public art initiative, the organization is inviting area artists to submit mural designs celebrating the San Antonio Spurs. The request for proposals specifically seeks a design “that captures and celebrates this by shining a light on the way the Spurs consistently work hard every day to unite, positively impact and inspire our community.” Additionally, Centro has noted that the design should not focus on a specific player or feature images that could be seen as offensive.
Houston Street Garage in San Antonio
The mural will be located in downtown San Antonio on the Houston Street Garage, at the corner of Navarro and Houston Streets. The painted mural will measure approximately 50 feet tall by 15 feet wide. The selected artist will be paid a total of $100,000 in three installments — at the beginning of the project, midway through, and upon completion. The fee is intended to cover all costs, including those associated with materials, rental equipment, and production support.
“Shared Magic” by Rudy Herrera
This call for mural proposals is just one of many recent mural projects going up in San Antonio. Centro’s Art Everywhere Project alone has been behind the installation of 140 public art pieces in the last three years. And recently, the University of Texas at San Antonio and McDonald’s national Ritmo y Color initiative have supported the development of other significant murals.
Beyond San Antonio, Texas at large has seen a huge uptick in the production of murals in the last few years. Earlier this year Big Art. Bigger Change. announced the expansion of its 2022 mural project to include more than two dozen pieces in downtown Houston. Though many of these murals are funded by arts organizations rather than city, state, or federal government, the recent push to fund artists to beautify cities is reminiscent of the Works Progress Administration era murals that were part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1930s New Deal.
A panel of community members and stakeholders will review the applications and select three finalists for the project. The finalists will then submit a formal proposal, including a design rendering, project narrative, installation plan, project budget, and three references. One artist will be selected to complete install their proposed mural.
The application deadline is Friday, September 29 at 6 p.m. Finalists will be announced on Thursday, October 5, and the selected artist will be announced on Friday, October 13. The completed mural is expected to be installed by Friday, December 1, 2023, depending on weather and other conditions.
Click here to learn more about this opportunity and apply.
