Augusta's 5th Street Mural Festival

The Greater Augusta Arts Council, as the public art agency for Augusta, Georgia, is seeking up to 47 ORIGINAL mural proposals for a mural festival in downtown Augusta.

NOTE! Artists who apply must submit their MOCK UP design FOR THIS MURAL, not with past works.  CREATE A NEW DESIGN AND SUBMIT THAT. (Download the mock up template in the "View Site Plan" link at the top of the call.)

The murals will measure 3 feet high, and either 10 feet or 20 feet wide, and will sit side by side in a long progression along walls on the abutments lining both sides of 5th Street between Reynolds Street and the 5th Street Freedom Pedestrian Bridge. Only the walls facing inward toward 5th Street, which are accessed by standing on the sidewalk, will be painted in this iteration of murals.

You can view the site on google maps at these GIS coordinates: 33.474799, -81.958086.  Please note that the current condition can only be seen in the aerial images.  The "Street View" images date from 2019 and are no longer accurate.

Stipend: 

• $1,000 (10 foot long mural)
• $2,000 (20 foot long mural)
• $4,000 (40 foot long Women in the Military mural - there will be only one of these)

Painting the murals will take place all at the same time, as part of a festive celebration of mural arts. The public will be invited to come out and watch artists work.

There is no required theme to the murals and a variety of creative designs is desired, but there will be one 40' (forty foot) long wall section reserved for a mural that celebrates Women in the Military. 

Artists are welcome to apply with multiple mural designs. Each design will be scored separately.

Installation: April 20-27, 2024

The artists will all paint the murals during daylight hours, within a one-week period, April 20-27, 2024. The public will be invited out to watch artists paint. Artists are welcome to play music as they work.

The sidewalk will be buffered with safety cones roughly 6 feet into the street while the artists are painting. The wall is about 3 feet high, so there will be no lifts or ladders used. Artists will be on sidewalk as they work.

All paints will be provided. No outside paints allowed, in order to ensure paint quality. The paint provided will be high quality outdoor acrylic paint from Sherwin-Williams.

Basic brushes will be provided. Artists are welcome to bring their own brushes, paint mixing and storing containers, etc.

Our more experienced mural artists will be asked to begin painting on the first day of the mural festival to demonstrate their techniques for transferring their designs and managing their materials for any less experienced mural artists who are juried in.

The Site:

The mural walls are part of the structure of the abutment that lines the sidewalks on both sides of 5th Street between Reynolds Street and the 5th Street Freedom Pedestrian Bridge.

The Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) has named Augusta, Georgia a recipient of a 2023 Georgia County Excellence Award for the 5th Street Pedestrian Bridge. The organization recognized that the City's work to modernize the historic bridge into a stunning 1,201-foot-long walkway across the Savannah River adds value, offering residents a new recreational space as the structure continues connecting pedestrians with the community.

Additionally, the 5th Street Abutments connect pedestrians with the lovely Iris Garden Club pocket park located at the corner of 5th and Reynolds Street. The Iris Garden Club pocket park is home to both Blue Star and Gold Star Memorial Markers. The Blue Star Program honors all men and women that serve in the United States Armed Services. Gold Star Families is a non-profit organization created to provide support to those who have lost a loved one in service to our country through the United States Armed Forces.

This section of 5th Street also connects with the Riverwalk and Marina, leading pedestrians to visit the Augusta Sculpture Trail, with 15 sculptures currently on display in a 2 mile walking loop.

Augusta, Georgia:

Augusta, Georgia is the third largest city in the state of Georgia with approximately 200,000 residents, and around 500,000 in the larger metropolitan area, which spans both sides of the Savannah River, into South Carolina. Augusta was established as a strategic trading city along the geological “fall line” of the Savannah River.

Many world-renowned individuals hail from Augusta, including Woodrow Wilson, James Brown, Jessye Norman, Susan Kilrain, Frank Yerby, Jasper Johns, Ray Guy, Bobby Jones, Sharon Jones, Lucy Craft Laney, Wycliffe Gordon, Amy Grant, Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood, Laurence Fishburne, Hulk Hogan, and many more.

Augusta is home to U.S. Army Fort Eisenhower, home of the Cyber Center of Excellence.  It is also home to the Augusta National Golf Course, home of the Masters Golf Tournament.

The Porter Fleming Foundation:

This mural call is made possible by a generous grant from the Porter Fleming Foundation. In 1963 Berry Fleming, a noted Augusta author and artist, who had also served as a Trustee of the Academy of Richmond County, created the Porter Fleming Foundation in honor of his father. The Foundation directs the Trustees of the Academy to contribute annually to the educational, literary, artistic, scientific, historical, musical, and cultural enrichment of the lives of the residents of the Greater Augusta area. Grants are given on an annual basis to 501(c)3 organizations. 

Porter Fleming serves those in the following counties: In South Carolina - Aiken, Edgefield; In Georgia - Burke, Columbia, Jefferson, Richmond

Women in the Military Mural:

There will be a curved, 3' x 40' panel reserved, at the Freedom Pedestrian Bridge end of the eastern abutment wall for a mural that pays tribute to Women in the Military. The goal of the mural to have a public work of art that helps women from the military to feel seen, empowered, inspired, and honored.

There will be a separate scoring of applications that are specifically entered to address the theme of "Women in the Military" and will be eligible for a $4,000 stipend for a curved, forty foot long mural section closest to the Freedom Pedestrian Bridge.

If you plan to submit a design for the Women in the Military Mural, please follow the following guidelines:

• use the 3' x 40' ratio in planning your mural
• you may use the template provided, the photo of the site to sketch on if you like, but that is not required
• include all branches: Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, and Coast Guard
• include women from as many ethnic groups as possible
• include both Enlisted and Officers
• If possible
  • Show all wars and combat patches
  • incorporate a tribute to pioneering women in the US Military, such as Cathay Williams, Deborah Sampson, and Opha Mae Johnson, or any others you have researched and wish to honor specifically

The Women in the Military mural is supported in part by a grant from the Augusta Woman's Club.

Selection:

All individual pieces will be scored by the Augusta Public Art Advisory Panel and a representative from the Porter Fleming Foundation, a representative of the Augusta Woman's Club, and a woman veteran who has helped to guide the process. The top scoring proposals will be offered a mural wall section to paint, and upon confirmation by the artist, contracts will be finalized between the Greater Augusta Arts Council and the artist.  If the selected artist declines, or a contract cannot be finalized, the next highest scoring proposal by a different artist will be selected.

NOTE: We encourage both experienced and less experienced mural artists to apply. Our more experienced mural artists will be asked to begin painting on the first day of the mural festival to demonstrate their techniques for transferring their designs and managing their materials for any less experienced mural artists who are juried in.

Selection criteria include:

• Aesthetic appeal of the image of the proposed mural
• Aesthetic appeal of the images presented in the artist's portfolio of past work
• Technical proficiency of the artist, based on the artist's portfolio of past work
• Professional capacity of the artist, based on the artist's portfolio of past work
• Adherence to the mural ratio (either 3x10, 3x20, or 3x40 for the Women in Military mural)
• One extra point for artists who reside in the eligible counties (In South Carolina - Aiken, Edgefield; In Georgia - Burke, Columbia, Jefferson, Richmond)
• For Women in Military Mural ONLY: adherence to the stated theme parameters

Application Requirements

IMPORTANT!

In the application for this call, place only your actual 5th Street Mural Festival MOCK UP design(s) in the section at the bottom of the application called "CHOOSE WORK SAMPLES".  (Download the mock up template in the "View Site Plan" link at the top of the call.)

You upload your mural proposals into your personal CaFE account PORTFOLIO, and then select those images in the section called "CHOOSE WORK SAMPLES".

Mural MOCK UP designs (1-5)

• fully rendered
• in color
• fitting either the 3' x 10' or 3' x 20' mural ratio, or 3' x 40' mural ration for the Women in Military mural

Past works (uploaded separately as a single document)

• Upload a document with examples of past murals you have completed
• Select images that will demonstrate technical proficiency, personal style, and visual appeal

OPTIONAL:

Applicants who reside in the GA and SC Counties served by the Porter Fleming Foundation will receive one additional point in scoring: Aiken, Edgefield (SC) and Burke, Columbia, Jefferson, Richmond (GA).  Proof of residency is required for any applicant wishing to gain that scoring point.

Eligibility Criteria

The request for proposals is open to all professional mural artists and artist teams residing in the United States.  

Applicants who reside in the GA and SC Counties served by the Porter Fleming Foundation will receive one additional point in scoring: Aiken, Edgefield (SC) and Burke, Columbia, Jefferson, Richmond (GA).  Proof of residency is required for any applicant wishing to gain that scoring point.  

All members of any team that applies must be at least 18 years of age and reside in the United States.

Members of the Public Art Advisory Panel, and employees of the Greater Augusta Arts Council are ineligible to apply.