Help beautify Westfield: city seeks artists for Quaker Park mural

The City of Westfield is seeking an artist or artists to design and paint original artwork at Quaker Park, 17501 Dartown Road. This mural location is on the north side of the facilities building. This is highly visible location that caters to families and includes amenities such as a splash pad, Midland Trace Trail access and pickleball courts.

The City is seeing an eye-popping mural designed with primary colors that also complements the mural also on the north side of the building. Artists are welcome to use Westfield’s history, signature events and physical environment as inspiration, if they choose.

The deadline for submissions is 11:59 Eastern time on Friday, Feb. 17.

Eligibility

To be eligible to submit for this opportunity, artists must:

  • Be able to meet all of the project requirements (see below)
  • Be age 18 or over
  • Be willing to meet all contractual obligations and adhere to a strict budget and timeline
  • Carry personal liability insurance for the duration of the project (The City of Westfield, can provide a referral to an insurance provider, if needed)

Project requirements

  • Providing a concept design with application
  • Painting and sealing the mural
  • The mural will be approximately 12’ wide and 4.5’ tall on the north side of the facilities building
  • Coordinating with the City of Westfield to develop an approved design
  • Coordinating with the City of Westfield for installation dates

Project budget

This project will carry a commission fee of $2,000 for design, fabrication, and installation of the mural. This fee is to cover all the artists’ compensation and anticipated expenses, including (but not limited to) design fees, paint, brushes, sealant, other materials, production, and labor.

Payment will be made in two installments: half will be paid to the artist at the beginning of the project, with the remaining half to be paid upon completion of the project. Please note that these payments can take up to 30 days to arrive.

Resources

The City of Westfield can provide any artist with electronic of printed elevation drawings of the building upon request.

Selection process

Artists must submit their qualifications to Kayla Arnold (karnold@westfield.in.gov) by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Friday, Feb. 17. Representatives from the City of Westfield will review submitted qualifications and select up to three finalists to interview further.

Note: While this is the intended selection process, in the event of an insufficient number of qualified applicants, the City of Westfield reserves the right to invite an artist to propose, or to directly select an artist and also reserves the right to cancel the opportunity entirely at any point and for any reason.

Selection criteria

Finalists will be selected based upon the following criteria:

  • Technical ability: Artist’s submission indicates professionalism, skill with materials and techniques, and indicates the capacity to meet the requirements of this project.
  • Artistic quality: Artist’s past work is appropriate to its context, innovative, creative and stylistically distinctive.

Project timeline

This timeline represents the project as it now appears. Changes may be necessary as the project progresses.

  • Release Request for Qualifications: Jan. 20
  • Deadline for qualification submissions: Feb. 17
  • Selection Committee Review: Feb. 20 to March 1
  • Selection of final candidate: No later than March 3
  • Design: March 6 to April 29
  • Installation: May 2023

How to apply

Artists must submit the following information to Kayla Arnold, Westfield Welcome Director at karnold@westfield.in.gov. (Please note that submission materials will not be returned to applicants.)

  • Resume: Please include a copy of your artistic resume.
  • Cover Letter: Please include a statement about your interest in this project, as well as any personal or professional connection you have to Westfield and how that connection influences your interest in this project. Please also include a statement about how your previous work experience qualifies you for this opportunity as well as your proposed budget.
  • Examples of previous artwork: Submit two to 10 digital images in .jpg or .pdf format of past work. Please limit the file size of each image to 2 MB or less. If possible, include images of at least one previous project that is appropriate to the conditions of this brief.
  • Image information sheet: Submit a sheet with the following information about each submitted project: title, date completed, client/neighborhood/site name, total artwork budget, and a brief (one to two sentences) description of the project or piece at is relates to this project. Include a directory of which image titles you have submitted are associated with each project (example: for an artist named Smith: PROJECT X: Images Smith 1, Smith 2, Smith 3; PROJECT Y: Smith 4, Smith 5, Smith 6). Submit this sheet in .doc, .docx or .pdf format.

Delivery of submissions

Submissions may be emailed to karnold@westfield.in.gov shared via Dropbox, or hand-delivered to Kayla Arnold at the City of Westfield located at the below address.

The delivery address is:
ATTN: Kayla Arnold
City of Westfield
2728 E. 171st St.
Westfield, IN 46074

Mailed or delivered submissions must be loaded on a single USB drive. CDs, DVDs, or printed items cannot be accepted. USB drives must arrive at the Westfield City Services Building no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Friday, Feb. 17. A Dropbox share request must be time-stamped by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Friday, Feb. 17. All items must be included in the shared folder by that time. Any item that is time-stamped as being uploaded after 11:59 p.m. will be disqualified from consideration.

Questions

Contact: Kayla Arnold, Director of Westfield Welcome at karnold@westfield.in.gov or (463) 214-1928.