Artlink Inc.

This call invites artists of all mediums to submit their portfolios for consideration to be purchased for Phoenix Airpark Gateway. This call is presented by Baker Development (“Ownership Team”) with support provided by Artlink Inc. The deadline to submit is October 19, 2026 by 5:00 p.m. (local Arizona time).

Project: This request invites sculptors to submit a portfolio of past works as well as current works for sale for a public art project for Phoenix Airpark Gateway.

Address: 1106 N 24th St., Phoenix, AZ 85008

Request: This request is for sculptors to submit images from their portfolio of available works for sale.  There is also the potential of commission work.

Budget: Up to $50,000 plus cost of installation. 

BACKGROUND

Phoenix Airpark Gateway is a 130,000-square-foot industrial flex development by Baker Development Corp located on a 10-acre site along 24th Street and Loop 202, just north of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, and amidst a residential neighborhood.

OVERVIEW 

Arizona artists and artist teams to submit qualifications and concepts for a permanent public art sculpture at the Phoenix Airpark Gateway, a prominent entry point intended to welcome residents, workers, visitors, and travelers to the area.

The selected artwork will serve as a visual landmark and contribute to the identity and sense of place. The project seeks an original, site-responsive sculpture that reflects the energy, innovation, movement, and distinctive character of Phoenix while creating a memorable gateway experience.

Artists are encouraged to consider the relationship between the artwork, the surrounding landscape, architecture, transportation corridors, and the experience of people approaching and passing the site. View reference materials here.

Call: This request is for artists to submit images from their portfolio as well as works for sale. An artist may receive a commission to create a custom work for Phoenix Airpark Gateway. 

Site conditions: Submitting artists should consider:

• The sculpture is serve as a prominent gateway to the property, with visibility from surrounding roadways and pedestrian areas. It will be integrated with existing or proposed landscaping, lighting, infrastructure, and signage.
• The selected sculpture must be produced in a material that weathers Arizona's intense sun, heat, wind, dust, and seasonal weather conditions.

Legal Conditions: Artist(s) will provide licensing and reproduction rights, and permit photography of artworks, including use in promotional materials. All reasonable effort will be made to credit the artist in promotions and when communicating with media.

Capabilities: This request for qualifications is to identify artists with a high degree of technical skill, personal vision and a contemporary look to their work. 

SUBMISSION DETAILS

Eligibility: This opportunity is open to all artists, designers, and creative individuals living and working in the state of Arizona with the ability to produce exemplary art.

Artists must be registered as an Artlink Articipant. Find the registration form on artlinkphx.org. 

Criteria: A selection of finalists will be based upon the quality, originality, and craftsmanship of the portfolios and works for sale submitted to this call. 

Timeline:*

• Call Issued: Saturday, October 3, 2026 
• Submissions Due: Monday, October 19 by 5:00 p.m. (local AZ time)
• Artist notifications: Week of October 26, 2026 [including either selected artist or finalist(s) for commission work]
• Installation scheduled: Fall/Winter 2027

*Timeline subject to change.    

Submission Requirements: Please make sure you follow ALL guidelines and complete the entire submission form, including the following:

• A current resume.
• One-page letter of interest (max 250 words).
• Portfolio of 5 digital images that document previously completed creative work that demonstrates originality and skill. Images should reflect work produced within the past five years.
• Portfolio of 5 images of artwork currently for sale and appropriately sized for the project.
• Descriptions of the works of art submitted in your portfolio, including title, date, size, price and a brief description of the artwork (50-100 words).
• Provide rate for commissioned works. 
• Email and phone contacts for three professional references. These references will be called only if you are a finalist.

Every submission is appreciated and will be seriously considered.

Artists will be notified by email.

Please send any questions to submissions@artlinkphx.org.

NOTE: Submissions are received through this Submittable platform. Please create an account or sign in below.

The following call is for an artist, designer, creative individual, or any team thereof to create murals on the Garfield Substation presented by Espiritu Loci Incorporated (“Ownership Team”) with support provided by Artlink Inc. All of the proposed murals will be located on the public facing walls of a utility substation located on Roosevelt and 2nd Streets in downtown Phoenix. The deadline to submit is October 20, 2026 by 5:00 p.m. (local AZ time). 

Project: Garfield Substation Murals RFQ

Address: 902 N. 2nd St., Phoenix AZ 85004

Request: This is a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to produce one of 13 murals, of varying size, dimension, orientation and style. Arizona artists, designers, creative individuals and artistic teams with a connection to Roosevelt Row Arts District and/or Evans Churchill Neighborhood are encouraged to apply.

Budget: Fees range from $6,400 to $50,000 per mural.

Selection: By submitting to this call, an artist is agreeing to a selection by a selection panel composed of members representing the Roosevelt Row Arts District and Evans Churchill Neighborhood. The selection panel reserves the right to curate a range of artistic styles and designate any one of the walls for a selected artist based on the stated criteria below. An artist submitting to this call agrees to produce a mural concept based on the spirit described in the call's project description (below), and to the specs of the wall designated by the selection panel. 

BACKGROUND

Arizona Public Service (APS) is expanding the electrical infrastructure serving Downtown Phoenix. The rebuild and expansion of the Garfield Substation is a critical component of increasing the electrical capacity needed to support the area’s continued growth. Located within the heart of the Roosevelt Row Arts District, the project represents an urban solution for integrating a much-needed electrical substation into a dense, vibrant neighborhood.

The compact substation design incorporates an enclosed building along Roosevelt Street while thoughtfully integrating public space and public art into the surrounding streetscape. The design of the public realm reflects several years of stakeholder engagement, collaboration, and negotiation. APS engaged Arizona Strategies and Espiritu Loci Incorporated (ELI) to develop and facilitate the community engagement and site-selection process. APS staff and community stakeholders participated as active members of the project team, working alongside Arizona Strategies and ELI.

In collaboration with the community, APS has committed to incorporating art and design elements that wrap around the exterior of the substation, which includes more than 10,000 square feet of murals. This approach will activate the static walls of the utility infrastructure, transforming them into an engaging and thoughtfully integrated public-facing installation. The project will feature eclectic, colorful, and distinctive artistic elements that contribute to the character and identity of the Roosevelt Row Arts District and the Evans Churchill neighborhood.

OVERVIEW

Project Description: The project is located on a prominent corner of Roosevelt Row in the Evans Churchill Neighborhood, and is to showcase the artistic talent of the neighborhood. 

Each of the murals will be designed by a separate artist, designer, creative individual or any team thereof. The aim of these murals is to add character, actively/meaningfully engage visitors and those passing by, and add interest and beauty to a streetscape that sits at the heart of one of the most well-known artist districts in the US. 

The public-facing perimeter of the substation is organized into four areas and themes, each responding to the character and existing uses of its respective street frontage:

• Roosevelt Street (north): The Roosevelt Street frontage is designed as a storefront, with large windows, doors and cantilevered shade canopies extending over the public sidewalk. The canopies provide shade and create opportunities for activity along both the interior and exterior of the building, including a performance plaza on the corner of Roosevelt and 2nd Streets. The artwork will be an inviting backdrop to these activities.
• 2nd Street (east): The 2nd Street frontage takes cues from a park setting. Existing on-street parking will remain, while wider sidewalks, shade structures, and landscape improvements will be added. The artwork will contribute to creating this urban park setting.
• Garfield Street (south): The Garfield Street frontage references the Sonoran Desert. Within the limited right-of-way, the design incorporates gardens with cacti and other drought-tolerant plants, along with boulders and seating walls. The frontage will also maintain space for the neighborhood activations. The artwork will reflect desert themes. 
• One and a Half Street Alley Frontage (west): FOR INVITED RETURNING ARTISTS ONLY. One and a Half Street Alley has been painted with a collection of murals for many years, becoming a local attraction. Artists responsible for the existing works have been invited to return and contribute a new mural as part of the project.

View the renderings here.

A total of 26 muralists will be selected via this open call to artists or invited produce a mural. The primary criteria considerations will be the applicant's existing portfolio, the alignment of the portfolio with the themes outlined above, and the personal connection to the Roosevelt Row Arts District and/or Evans Churchill Neighborhood. Each of the artists selected from this call will create one mural.

A select number of artworks will be selected for an additional augmented reality application. 

SUBMISSION DETAILS

Artists, designers, creative individuals and artistic teams should submit portfolio images of existing works. The expectation of this call is that all of the portfolio images that are submitted of previous work are not created in response to this call. They are to demonstrate the requisite craft, originality and dynamism that a major mural project and an exciting landmark in the city would require.

Eligibility: This opportunity is open to artists, designers, creative individuals and artist teams living and working in Arizona with the ability to produce exemplary murals for this project, which will be a symbol of pride for the Roosevelt Row Arts District, the Evans Churchill Neighborhood, and the Phoenix community as a whole. Submitting artists must have a connection with, and be able to speak to, this artistic area of Phoenix and have the desire to reflect a celebration and expression of the area's creative arts and vitality in the mural's content.

Artists must be registered as an Artlink Articipant (no fee required). Find the registration form on artlinkphx.org. 

Honoraria: Each artist, designer, creative individual and/or artist team selected from the applicant pool resulting from this RFQ will provide a proposed concept for one designated mural. They will each be paid $500 for their proposals presented December 15, 2026. 

Additional alternates may also be selected.

Criteria: Selection of the artists will be based upon the strength and dynamism of their past works as well as their potential to make a significant artistic contribution to this project through their artwork and their personal connection to the area. 

The selected artists will be based upon:

• The strength of the submitted portfolio.
• The applicant's stated connection to the Roosevelt Row Arts District and/or Evans Churchill Neighborhood.
• The applicant's desire to execute a creative and original approach to making this a landmark project that engages the community in a creative and meaningful way
• The potential of the applicant's artistic style to complement and add value to the identified themes, collective celebration and story expressed by this project.
• The ability to produce highly photographic work that appeals to, and invites, residents and tourists to explore Roosevelt Row Arts District, the Evans Churchill Neighborhood and Downtown Phoenix.
• The ability to (appropriately) engage pedestrians.

Project Budget:

Selected artists, designers, creative individuals, and/or artistic teams that submit, will be chosen to make a design concept for one of the mural spaces. 

The finalists will be expected to create the work on site. They will be assigned the space that the selection panel feels best suits their style and vision, and within the context of the other selected artists. Applying for this calls means that you are open to creating a mural for any of the walls that are designated for this project.

The selected artist will be responsible for costs including the design, materials, equipment, PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), required OSHA training, and commercial liability insurance. All fabrication fees to complete the work, and the cost of insurance, transportation, project coordination and installation are covered by the artist.

Timeline (subject to change):

• Submissions Due: October 20, 2026, at 5 p.m. (AZ time)
• Artists/Designers Notified & Finalists Workshop: Week of November 16, 2026
• Finalists Concept/Design Presentations: Week of December 14, 2026
• Mural Installations Begin: early February, 2027; completion by March, 2027 (dates vary by mural wall)

Submission Requirements:

Please make sure you follow ALL guidelines and complete the entire submission form, as we will not accept your submission if it is incomplete or submitted in non-requested formats.

• A current resume. No more than 2 pages.
• A one-page letter of interest that includes a description of your connection with the Roosevelt Row Arts District and/or Evans Churchill Neighborhood. No more than 500 words.
• A portfolio of up to ten (10) digital images at a minimum of 72 dpi which includes details and documents of previously completed creative works of any kind that demonstrate originality and skill in creating and executing design ideas completed in the past five years. Additional detail images are optional.
• A list of descriptions of all of the pieces submitted in your portfolio with the title, year of completion, medium, size, location and a brief description of the artwork.
• Email and phone contacts for three professional references. These references will be called only if you are a finalist.

If selected for the project, the artist will be required to take into account the following: 

By submitting to this call, applicants agree to execute the required contract and license agreement and comply with all applicable on-site procedures if selected.

All selected artists will be required to provide proof of commercial liability insurance and complete the required OSHA training prior to beginning work on-site.

Mural artwork must be appropriate for public viewing of all ages and may not include sexually explicit or acts of violence content, political messaging, or commercial/marketing messages.

All of the artwork in this project will be for display in the public realm. The copyright for the artwork will be held by the artist. In  an attempt to make this new place a landmark for the community, integrated into the elements of their daily life, the artist will license the artwork to the public for their use This will allow for non-full size reproductions of the mural images for use by the public (including the artist) in a wide variety of forms including in social media, publications, merchandise, marketing  and other promotional materials. This will allow the iconic setting to become part of daily life in the fabric of the community.

The posting and re-posting of the artwork in social media, and by individuals for personal use will be allowed and encouraged. The space for the artist signature (name only) will vary by designated wall. 

Selected artists will participate in community engagement activities to promote their participation in, and personal connection to, the storytelling aspect of the project. 

All reasonable effort will be made to credit the artist in promotions and when communicating with media.

Every submission is appreciated and will be seriously considered.

Artists will be notified by email. Please do not call for results.

Email with any questions to submissions@artlinkphx.org.

NOTE: Submissions are received through this Submittable platform. Please create an account or sign in below.