One of the recommendations of Palmdale’s Public Art Master Plan is to attract and retain artists in Palmdale by providing support and opportunities to emerging, mid-career, and established local artists.  The Small Mural Mentor Program is designed to pair experienced muralists with three novice artists to design and install small murals in Palmdale.  Qualified novice artists are encouraged to submit materials for this project.  Applications will be received and reviewed by the Public Art Program Manager.  An Artist Selection Panel will review artist submittals and make recommendations to the Public Art Commission for final approval. 

Three murals will be painted on 10th Street East on existing pump and generator enclosures. Selected novice artists will be assigned a mentor and one of the three walls.

·         Palmdale Playhouse: Two walls connected at the corner, 5’6”H x 6’1” W and 5’6”H x 7’8” W

·         Legacy Commons: Two walls, connected at the corner, 5’6”H x 8’2” W and 5’6”H x 16’9” W

·         Legacy Commons: Two walls, connected at the corner, 8’H x 12’10” W and 8’H x 24’5” W

The all-inclusive budget for this project is $3,000 for each mural project.  The selected mentee artists will receive a $500 stipend for their proposal. In addition, each mentee artist will receive $1,500 for planning, paint supplies and execution upon completion.  Each mentor artist assigned by the City will receive $1,000.  Participating mentor and mentee artists will be required to provide insurance and obtain a current City of Palmdale business license as outlined in the agreement. Mentor artists will provide guidance to mentee artists for completion of these requirements.

When asked what residents would like the new artwork to represent, the following two themes resonated the most with members of the community who participated in the survey:

·         Create meaningful, authentic, and culturally appropriate artworks to be enjoyed by the community.

·         Reflect on the views (mountains, sunsets, sunrises, stars, foothills, blue skies).

Selected novice artists will submit a color sketch or digital image of the proposed artwork to scale. The proposals should reflect the project objectives, including theme and context within the project site, and should be respectful of the greater context of the community. Proposed artwork must be family-friendly and cannot depict sexual conduct or sexually explicit nudity nor advertise any activity illegal under the laws of California or the United States.  The Panel will select proposals that best meet the City’s objectives for this project. The Public Art Commission reserves the right to contact artists prior to final selection for clarification or expansion of their proposal.

Important Dates:

March 28, 2024:                                                 Applications due

April 5, 2024:                                                       Review completed by Artist Selection Committee

April 9, 2024:                                                       Artists contacted; mentors assigned

May 2, 2024:                                                        Concept designs due from selected artists

May 28, 2024:                                                      Public Art Commission meeting

June 20, 2024:                                                     Mural installation may begin

July 22, 2024:                                                       Murals to be completed by this date

Application Requirements

A complete application includes the following:

·          Artist’s resume

·         6 – 10 examples of artist’s previous artwork

·         3 Professional references

·         Statement of interest about the project

Eligibility Criteria

The Panel will review and score submissions based on the following criteria:

·         Encourage the highest level of creative engagement;

·         Select an artist whose past efforts have maintained a high level of quality;

·         Further the mission and goals of the Public Art Program and the City;

·         Identify the optimal approach that is suitable to the demands of the particular project;

·         Select an artist who will best respond to the distinctive characteristics of the site and the community it serves; and

·         Select an artist who can work successfully as a member of an overall project team.