The following call is for Phoenix based artists of all practices, presented by Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, in partnership with the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, Southwest Center, One N Ten, and Aunt Rita's Foundation ("Partners") and with support provided by Artlink Inc. The deadline to submit is Wednesday, January 8, 2024, at 5 p.m. (local Arizona time). 

BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW

The City of Phoenix seeks to commission a semi-permanent mural for The Parsons Center for Health and Wellness located at 1101 N. Central Ave. in central Phoenix. The goal of this public art project is to raise awareness about HIV prevention, testing, and treatment, inspire community engagement, and reduce stigma around HIV. It is to serve as a visual, public reminder of the importance of proactive health measures and support for those affected by HIV, encouraging people to take action through education, testing, and advocacy, while enhancing the experience of those seeking health, wellness, and community services from the organizations located on property. 

The Partners seeks applications from professional visual artists who reside in Phoenix and who have a lived experience with HIV/AIDS. The selected artist will be responsible for the design and installation of the artwork.

Project: HIV/AIDS Awareness Mural Project

Location: The Parsons Center for Health and Wellness, 1101 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004 (south wall)

Request: This request for qualifications is for Phoenix artists, or artist teams, to submit from their portfolios that are representative of their ability to compose, design, and execute large-scale murals. 

Budget: $60,000 (which includes the artist fees, materials, installation, anti-graffiti coating/application and contingencies)

The Installation:  The mural must be made of durable materials that can survive the desert climate for at least five years. The mural can be painted directly on the wall, or attached to the wall using a material like Polytab, and must contain an anti-graffiti coating. The wall is approximately 134’W x 30’H however the mural does not need to cover the entirety of the wall due to windows and other additional elements that cannot be painted.

Please refer to the mural wall photos here.

The selected artist will work closely with the Partners to ensure the wall is properly prepped and that installation is carefully coordinated so as to not conflict with facility activities.

The selected artist must also work collaboratively with Partner representatives to ensure the design of the artwork appropriately represents and honors the intent to positively raise awareness of HIV/AIDS.

Artist(s) will permit photography of artworks, including use in Partners' promotional materials, social media and communications. 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 an individual Phoenix based artist or artist team. The artist(s) selected from this call will design and implement significant art features for this wall. 

Eligibility: 

All Phoenix artists, designers, creative individuals, and teams are encouraged to apply, and a lived experience with HIV/AIDS is preferred. If applying as a team, the artist serving as the team's representative must be a Phoenix resident. 

This work will not contain images or messages that include nudity, political, religious, advertising, or otherwise controversial themes. 

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

Finalists: 

Up to three artists/teams from the applicant pool resulting from this RFQ will be selected to produce or propose a concept. The selection panel comprised of City of Phoenix and community representatives will select up to three artist/teams to address the wall. 

Honoraria:

Each finalist will be paid $1,000 for their proposal.

Criteria:

A selection of finalists will be based upon the quality, originality, and craftsmanship of their past works and potential to make a significant artistic contribution to this project.

Recommendation of the Winning design(s) will be based upon:

• The strength and feasibility of the proposed work.
• The design’s potential to engage the public in a meaningful way.

Project Rates: 

The chosen artist is responsible for managing the project budget, which should include all costs of materials, labor, equipment, and any other expenses associated with the installation of the selected design. 

The City of Phoenix has committed $60,000 to be made for the completion of the wall installation, in addition to the $1,000 finalist honorarium.

SUBMISSION DETAILS

Timeline:*

• Call Issued: Wednesday, December 4, 2024 (World AIDS Remembrance Day)
• Submissions Due: Wednesday, January 8, 2025, by 5:00 p.m. (local AZ time)
• Finalists Notified: Week of January 13, 2025
• Finalists Workshop: Week of January 20, 2025 (Date/Time TBA)
• Finalists Concept/Design Presentation Due: Week of February 10, 2025
• Selection Announced: Week of February 17, 2025
• Work to begin following the selection, pending mutually agreed upon schedules. The selected artist will be invited to participate in a Wellness Block Party event on Friday, April 4, 2025, with a planned announcement and/or community paint activity subject to artist's availability and mural timeline.   

*Timeline is subject to change.

Submission Requirements:

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

• A current CV or resume. 
• A letter of interest in this public art project, including a description of your lived experience with HIV/AIDS.
• Portfolio of up to ten digital images documenting previously completed creative work that demonstrates originality and skill in creating and executing exterior murals or installations. Images should reflect work produced within the past five years.
• Descriptions of the works of art submitted in your portfolio, including title, date, 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.

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 only. Please create an account or sign in below.