The City of Lancaster, in partnership with the Bench Mark Program, SoWe, Pennsylvania Council of the Arts, and South Central PaARTners at Millersville University, is seeking a qualified artist or artist team for the commission of a mural on the west facing exterior wall on the Bench Mark Program building located at 102 South Prince Street.

The selected artist will serve in a 20-day residency sponsored by South Central PaARTners. The residency will include mural development and mural painting as well as in-person sessions with the students of the Bench Mark Program to develop the mural design and to teach the basic principles of mural making. See Student Workshop section below for further details.

About the Bench Mark Program

Bench Mark Program, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was founded in 2014 to transform the way we serve our community’s most vulnerable, yet promising population: underserved youth. Many young adults simply do not respond to traditional therapy, prevention programs, or even probation. To maximize their potential, we needed to earn their trust through a common bond: exercise. In addition to our Open Gym Program and Women's Strength and Fitness Center, we also offer a comfortable lounge for youth to relax, an opportunity for them to do schoolwork, or search and apply for jobs. Our programming connects with youth for years at a time, often meeting them while they are confined to the youth detention center and working with them until they have successfully completed juvenile probation. We are the consistent resource in the background of their lives, present for as long as they need us, and until they achieve their goals.

Artwork Specifications

The exterior wall measures 36-ft long and 22-ft high. The wall in question has a slight texture. A lift will likely be required.

The subject matter of the mural is: “An Undercurrent of Strength.” The wall in question faces Water Street, which was originally a stream that was paved over in 1870. The subject matter should relate to water in some way, be it realistic or abstract, as well as the strength building that is at the core of the Bench Mark Program’s mission. Themes to consider should include the power of moving water, how individuals flow with the changes, and how a strong undercurrent guides the flow. Color palette, style, and other artistic elements are at the artist’s discretion.

Please see commission document for full project information and application instructions.