If you’re an artist and you want to work with the UrbanArt Commission, December 3rd seems like an important day.
It’s the deadline for the request for qualifications for sculpture along Plough Boulevard, as well as the city’s direct purchase program.
And it’s also the deadline to apply for something I would like to call Memphis Mural School.
“We’ll do mural classes for seven selected local artists who will be trained in the best practices in mural painting,” says UrbanArt executive director John Weeden. “We have funding so each artist will be paid to participate and they’ll get funding to create a mural somewhere in the city.”
UrbanArt is currently working with the city to identify walls that are available (and owned by the city) where murals could be installed. They’re also working with the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program to make sure the artists learn how to make something that looks great and will last for decades.
“We’re paying them to learn a set of skills that will launch their career or take their professional practice to the next level,” Weeden says. “Not only will they be qualified to get local commissions, they’ll be able to develop a national career because of this, and Memphis will be seen as a center where artists are on top of their game.”
Artists have to have lived in Memphis for the past two years, and the due date for applications is December 3rd. The selection should be in January.
Aaaand b/c I love time-lapse videos, here is one of the mural at Madison and 3rd being painted.
