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CALL FOR PUBLIC MURAL ARTISTS​

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The Hagerstown Arts and Entertainment District is seeking five artists to create a total of five (5) permanent murals downtown Hagerstown as part of the inaugural Hagerfest Arts and Music Festival.

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PROJECT SUMMARY

The Hagerfest Arts and Music Festival will be Saturday September 21, 2024 and the mural installations are part of the overall festivities that day.  The theme of this year’s murals is “Awaken.” The vibe of this festival will combine modern aesthetics with a touch of nostalgia, inspired by the fusion of new age music and design evoking a sense of timelessness and innovation, transcending specific genres or eras while embracing a bold and fluid identity. 

 

The City of Hagerstown has made public art a key component of our downtown revitalization.  There are over 24 public art pieces in Hagerstown including unusual and diverse public artworks by leading local, regional and even national artists. The scale and style of the public art is diverse, from small installations that must be discovered to dramatic statement pieces that are visible from long distances. 

 

Specifically, the Hagerstown Cultural Trail is a multi-use walkway connecting the rich attractions of the Arts & Entertainment District in Hagerstown’s historic downtown with the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts and City Park. The mile long brick Trail is beautifully landscaped, very well-lit and features a chain of fourteen (14) unique public art installations, public plazas, and other interactive features and history interpretations.  At the midpoint of the Trail is the $90 million investment of “Meritus Park” which opened in May 2024 and serves as the home of the “Flying Boxcars” professional baseball team as well as hosting other events.   The Trail will be the main pedestrian access to this facility from the north (downtown) and points south (City Park).

 

For a Current Trail brochure, information on the Trail’s vision, and a detailed map of the current art installations, entrants are encouraged to visit hagerstownculturaltrail.com.

 

The City seeks art with appeal to visitors of all ages on both visual and conceptual levels. Murals should be stimulating to the imagination and enrich and transform the environment. Artwork must be integrated into the fabric of the site to create visual drama in their public setting yet be appropriate to the scale of the available wall area.  

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ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible, artists must show applicable experience on similar scale, public projects.  Artist(s) must enter into an agreement with the City of Hagerstown and comply with all City requirements.

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TIMELINE

5/3/24           Call Released

5/31/24          Last Day for Questions by 5 pm EST

6/5/24           Answers to all questions posted

6/14/24          Submissions due by 5 pm EST

6/18/24          Selection Panel short lists proposals

7/16/24          Selection Panel Review Complete, recommendations to City Council, City will issue          verbal ‘notice to proceed’ for design

7/23/24          Contracts awarded by City Council

8/14/24          Artists submit designs to City, City provides input

8/30/24          Designs Complete

9/16-9/24/24   Installations – must be present on Saturday, September 21st

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BUDGET

A budget of $20,000 is identified for this project or $4,000 for each of the five murals.   This funding will be fully allocated to the art creation including the artist’s fee, priming, installation and clear coating.  The City will power wash the walls prior to installation of the murals.  The project is funded by the City of Hagerstown. 

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SELECTION PROCESS

Criteria: In their application materials, the applicant should demonstrate:

  • Experience in permanent public art installations with a proven ability to complete artwork at a similar scale to this project.

  • Responsiveness to community context and Festival mural theme. 

  • Artistic or design excellence, technical merit, and interaction potential.

  • Availability of artist to be at Festival on September 21, 2024

 

Applications by board or staff members of the City of Hagerstown or the Selection Panel or their relatives or business or personal partners will not be considered.

 

The City of Hagerstown reserves the right to approve or decline selected artists and projects at its absolute discretion or to make no selection from the submitted applications.

 

 

Selection Panel:

The Public Art and Design Committee appointed by the Hagerstown Mayor and City Council will jury the submissions. Most of the members of the Selection Panel are art and design professionals, including curators, architects, and professional artists. Juries may also include representatives of the City of Hagerstown, the Washington County Arts Council, stakeholder organizations, and community members. The Community Engagement Officer will serve as an advisor to the Selection Panel.

 

The Public Art and Design Committee will select 5 mural finalists and assign a location to each artist.

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SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

What to Submit:

 

As part of the submission form:

  • An artist resume of no more than two pages,

  • A brief statement, in PDF or Word format, not to exceed two pages, describing:

  • how the artist would approach this work and its context,

  • how the artist sees this work in relation to the past work of the artist,

  • the artist’s interest in and/or experience with community involvement, participation, or interactivity in public art projects; and,

  • ability to stay within budget

•    Three professional references with current contact information, in PDF or Word format.

•    A Slide Script (image list) of no more than four (4) recent murals that includes the title, year, dimensions, the medium or material, the names of any other artists involved, a one sentence description, budgets, and date of work, in PDF or Word format.

 

Submit to City of Hagerstown’s Dropbox:

 

  • All filenames MUST include YOUR name and the names/titles of the images. For example: Jones, Tom Resume.pdf and Jones, Tom_IMAGE1-mural.jpg. If your files are not named properly, it is impossible to know what images go with which resume and/or example.

  • The City prefers to receive applications the City’s Dropbox folder “Hagerstown Arts and Music Festival – Call for Public Mural Artists” using this link: https://www.dropbox.com/request/7nSbQ5oLZjRbZHgkt7Ch

  • 5 MB maximum file size

 

The deadline for applications is 6/14/24 at 5 pm EST.

 

The project prefers to receive applications through the City of Hagerstown’s Dropbox folder “Hagerstown Arts and Music Festival – Call for Public Mural Artists” using this link: https://www.dropbox.com/request/7nSbQ5oLZjRbZHgkt7Ch

 

Either upload files from your computer or DropBox. You will not need a DropBox account to use the “Add files” button and find the required documents on your computer to upload to the folder.
 

Mailed or hand-delivered submissions will be accepted by the City of Hagerstown at 1 East Franklin Street, ATTN:  Brittany Arizmendi, Hagerstown, Maryland, 21740. These submissions will be considered, as long as:

  • they comply with all submission requirements above and include a CD or thumb drive of digital images; and,

  • they are received by 4 PM on 6/14/24 – This is not a postmark deadline!

 

Incomplete applications or those that do not follow instructions will not be considered. Mailed materials cannot be returned.

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QUESTIONS

Questions must be submitted via email to Brittany Arizmendi, Barizmendi@hagerstownmd.org  no later than 5:00 PM on 5/31/24. Answers to all questions will be posted ON THIS PAGE.

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AGREEMENT

Artists creating all permanent artworks are required to complete a standard contract Agreement with the City prior to the commencement of work.

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DURABILITY AND MAINTENANCE CRITERIA FOR COMMISSIONED ARTWORKS

All permanent artworks shall be durable, low-maintenance, and appropriate to the location. Works shall be easy to clean.  Artists or their designated fabricators shall offer a warranty against damage from normal weathering and ”inherent vice” for period of two years. Works shall not in any way represent an ”attractive nuisance” nor shall normal public interactions and handling of the artwork result in special hazard to or from the work, including any possible climbing hazard. Artists shall meet standard engineering and conservation criteria.

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DOCUMENTATION OF MAINTENANCE AND CONSERVATION REQUIREMENT 

All public art will eventually need some form of maintenance and conservation. Therefore, it is important to have a clear understanding of each artwork’s maintenance and conservation requirements and any special qualifications required for those who will carry out the work.  The commissioned artist will be required to submit a standardized Maintenance and Conservation worksheet at the completion of the project. This would include information such as a listing of all materials used, fabrication techniques and a recommended cleaning schedule, any special qualifications of maintenance personnel, etc.

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