Brief Description
Release Date: Friday, April 12th, 2024
Budget: $64,495 (includes three finalist honoraria of $500 each)
Deadline: Tuesday, May 28th, 2024 at 11:59 pm
Eligibility: Any artist living and working within the Memphis metropolitan area. Artists are invited to submit collaborative work if desired, but may only submit one proposal per project opportunity. 2D based artists are encouraged to identify collaboration with experienced fabricators prior to submitting application. While there is no limit to the number of calls an artist may apply to at once, UAC strongly encourages artists to consider both the time and scale of each call.
Information Session: Wednesday, May 8 @ 5:30pm, RSVP now.
BACKGROUND
About the 2011 flood that impacted Boxtown, Mt. Pisgah, Walker Homes, & West Junction:
The Mississippi River Flood from May 2011 caused the river to rise six times its normal size. In Shelby County, 3,075 buildings, 949 homes and 12 apartment complexes were affected. The 38109 neighborhoods south of McKellar Lake left homes uninhabitable, adding to the existing challenges of neglect and nearby polluting industries.
Departments such as the Shelby County Government Housing- Planning and Development Division are still assisting residents with the environmental impact from the 2011 flood.
Some of the oldest predominantly Black neighborhoods in Southwest Memphis, there is much resilience amongst residents. Residents from Boxtown, Mt. Pisgah, Walker Homes, & West Junction have banded together to support each other. Organizations such as WIND Memphis CDC are leading the way working with different generations and focusing on building relationships throughout the 38109 area.
About WIND Memphis CDC:
WIND Memphis CDC is an action-forward not-for-profit advocating community capacity building since 2007. Their mission is redevelopment for sustainability within the 38109 communities. WIND Memphis CDC envisions absolute continuity of movement from under-resourced neighbors to impactful thriving neighborhoods.
About UAC:
The UrbanArt Commission (UAC) works to create opportunities for artists and neighborhoods to connect and shape spaces through public art. Since 2002, UAC has managed the City of Memphis’s Percent-For-Art Program, which allocates funds annually to develop public art in connection to capital improvement projects. UAC also facilitates public art projects throughout the city working with various partners and clients to support artists and new experiences with art.
SITE SPECIFICS
UAC and the City of Memphis, in partnership with WIND Memphis CDC, are seeking an artist to create a tranquil watershed sculpture for the Boxtown, Mt. Pisgah, Walker Homes, and West Junction communities. The preferred location for the sculpture is Alonzo Weaver Park.
SCOPE OF WORK
UAC and The City of Memphis, in partnership with WIND Memphis CDC, are seeking an artist to create a tranquil watershed sculpture that honors the resilience in Boxtown, Mt. Pisgah, Walker Homes, and West Junction communities and impact from the 2011 flood.
The selection committee has expressed interest in tranquil watershed sculpture that:
Reflects on the 2011 flood
Relays awareness and appreciation of the area’s natural resources, including South Cypress Creek
Prefers a sculptural or spatial design that exudes serenity
Mimics the watersheds that affects the 38109 area
Definition: A watershed is an area of land that drains or “sheds” water into a specific body of water. - from National Geographic Education
Involves student engagement from Chickasaw Middle, Mitchell High, and Southwest Career Tech
Includes neighborhood engagement during design and/or fabrication process
Includes shadowing opportunities for a local 2D based artist
Needs to be accessible for aging community
Durable material that could withstand heavy rain, prolonged sun exposure, and wind erosion
Focus on how the resilient Boxtown, Mt. Pisgah, Walker Homes, and West Junction communities are thriving now
PROJECT EXPECTATIONS
A selection committee organized by UAC will review submitted portfolios, and will invite finalists to submit site-specific design proposals. All finalists will receive a stipend of $500 for their designs. The selected artist will be expected to work closely with the Selection Committee and UAC to execute the proposed murals.
Please follow the commission portal link for full project information along with site maps and pictures. Click here to apply