Public Art Opportunity – Downtown Gateway & Welcome Mural
Attention area artists! Cambridge Community Arts Foundation, Inc. is requesting proposals from experienced area artists for a mural opportunity that will serve as a place-making “gateway and welcome” mural for Historic Downtown Cambridge. This mural project will be considered a permanent art installation with an expected minimum lifespan of 25 years.
The site is on the north-western wall of 518 Poplar Street, a natural entry point for district due to its connection to the large downtown parking lot behind Poplar Street. The blank wall can serve as a welcoming landmark and visual identifier for the Cambridge Community. The mural will be located on the northwestern facing side of the building. This site is the exterior wall of the distinctive flat-iron shaped building, which currently houses the Main Street Gallery, the area’s only co-operative artist gallery celebrating its tenth year in operation during 2021.
The Foundation is seeking a mural design that will delight people with a unique, bold and immersive character – with the potential to become a destination and “photo-opportunity” point of focus for downtown. The theme should speak to the cultural legacy of the area and women of significance in Cambridge and Dorchester’s history. As a mural focusing on the contributions of
local women, it’s important to include imagery not only of well-known women leaders in Cambridge’s past (Harriet Tubman & Gloria Richardson, for example) as well as women who have played pivotal roles in our nation’s political history (Anna Ella Carroll), entertainment (Bea Arthur), competitive sports (Annie Oakley), but also contemporary women who have broken barriers for women in national service, such as Rear Admiral Sara Joyner and Acting Capitol Hill Police Chief Yogananda Pittman.
The successful proposal will be expected to engage with CCAH’s Mural Committee to finalize the women to be included, in consultation with our community stakeholders. The Foundation is soliciting input on the final women subjects for Mural from the Main Street Gallery, the Dorchester Center for the Arts, the Cambridge Arts & Entertainment District, and Cambridge Main Street, among others. Interested community members are encouraged to express their interest and comments via email to [email protected]
Proposal deadline extended to April 30, 2021.
For more information and complete RFP, email [email protected].