A call for artists was just issued by the Thornton Park District and art appraisal company, ArtHaus (Website), for a mural to adorn the under-construction Lake Eola pocket park at the corner of Rosalind and Central Boulevard.
The mural will be displayed on the side of the building adjacent to the property and will face the aforementioned high-traffic intersection.
Artists of all backgrounds and experience levels are being encouraged to apply, with the selection committee apparently looking for particularly unique concepts that, “…reflect the diverse cultural fabric of Orlando.”
Applications will be accepted through October 6 with the winning selection being announced on October 16. The mural must be completed by the end of October 2023. The exact amount of compensation has not been made public at this time but the project website describes it as a “competitive compensation package, commensurate with experience and the scope of the project.”
Click HERE for more information or to apply.
It is a shame this call for artists is being handled this way. It asks for art designs up front (expecting artists to work for free), and does not disclose a budget, which is atypical for calls for art of this size. Additionally, this call expects working artists to be immediately available for a massive project, all while keeping the budget a secret (again very atypical for public art calls). This form of call is referred to as an RFP which was grandfathered into the public art world from governments working with architectural firms. RFPs are inappropriate for working with artists. RFQ format is respectful to artist and not predatory in nature like this call. It is hard to see this when Orlando has so few calls for mural art especially in comparison with other major cities in Florida. I’ve emailed the project coordinator with my concerns and received no response so far. Disappointing.
NO! Just clean the wall of the building that does NOT belong to the city. Should have just left the whole thing as “green space.”