Call Description

Call for Artists- Painted Mural at the Newark Airport Station Access   

Artists must be a New Jersey Resident living and/or based out of Newark, NJ (evidence of Newark residency or proof of art studio rental in Newark will be required). Artists from the local community of Newark’s South Ward are highly encouraged to submit artwork.

The selected artist will be responsible for working with the Port Authority of NY & NJ (“PANYNJ”) team on all needed design revisions, managing the project budget and timeline, and installing the approved mural design on the Station Access building with high quality acrylic media, high quality paints on a polytab (“mural cloth”) surface, and finishing with UV protectant topcoat. 

See eligibility criteria section below for full details.  

Details on Station Access 

The EWR Station Access project will increase public transit access to Newark Liberty International Airport (“EWR”), Penn Station Newark, and New York City for communities in Newark and Elizabeth, including a one-seat ride to New York’s Penn Station and Moynihan Train Hall on NJ TRANSIT. Additionally, it will provide access to points along the Northeast Corridor through Amtrak’s rail services. Local residents also will be able to utilize rail to connect to PATH train service from Newark Penn Station for enhanced access to job centers in Jersey City, as well as downtown and midtown Manhattan. The project includes an extension of the existing pedestrian bridge over platforms and tracks at the Newark Liberty International Airport Train Station to a new public access area off Frelinghuysen Avenue. The public access area will include a pickup/drop-off point for private vehicles, taxis, buses and for-hire vehicles, along with bicyclist and pedestrian access. The new entry point is expected to open in 2026. 

See more at: https://www.portauthoritybuilds.com/redevelopment/us/en/ewr/projects/ewr-station-access.html 

Location for Arts Inclusion  

The exterior of the building has an identified area for the mural of approx. 14 feet high x 28 feet wide, which will be a flat vertical surface. Artists will be asked to paint the approved mural design on poly tab material for application of the completed mural on the exterior. The selected artist will be solely responsible for the project, including installation of the completed mural.   

Curatorial Themes 

Curatorial themes identified for the mural include: 

Representations of the Newark community's diversity of cultural groups and individuals 

Iconic representations of people and/or places in Newark 

Current everyday activities in Newark 

Newark's environments; parks and recreation in the city   

Newark’s history with a particular emphasis on diversity and representation of Newark’s Indigenous peoples 

Arts Inclusion Project Budget 

Three (3) selected finalists for the Station Access Mural Art Call will receive a $1,000 stipend to cover costs associated with the preparation of a formal request for proposal and presentation.  

The budget for the selected artist will be $150,000.  

Project Expectations 

The selected artist will be responsible for working with the PANYNJ team on all design revisions, managing the project budget and timeline, and painting the approved mural design on polytab (“mural cloth”), and installing the completed mural on the Station Access building with high quality materials including a durable UV protectant topcoat. The selected artist must ensure all approvals are obtained prior to installation and will coordinate with PANYNJ for submission of all contract documents and close out materials.   

Anticipated Process  

The committee will rate each artist’s submissions, and the finalists’ proposals based on the following criteria: 

Artistic quality of submitted work samples, and proposed work 

Appeal of the artists’ style to EWR passengers and community members 

Appropriateness of proposed artwork to the site and objective of the project 

Ability of the artist to create and provide the artwork within the established timeframe and budget, as demonstrated by previously completed projects and references 

Submission 

Interested artists must submit their application through the Call for Entry (CAFE) website. No other method of submission will be accepted. All artists interested in the project shall upload a letter of interest to the Arts Selection Committee of no more than two (2) pages, expressing their interest in this project and summarizing their qualifications for the creation of the requested artwork. Additionally, artists must provide three (3) references including the names, contact information (phone number and e-mail address) for similar projects. Artists shall submit a minimum of four (4) and a maximum of eight (8) photographs/images of examples of previously completed artworks, preferably in public spaces. One (1) video sample is optional and is included as part of the eight (8) maximum work samples. Finally, artists shall include a resume/CV outlining their previous experience, again, preferably with similar projects.   

Finalists 

Three (3) finalists will be selected to receive an official request for proposal (RFP) and prepare a project-specific presentation to the Art Selection Committee. The presentations shall take place virtually. Each of the finalists shall receive a stipend in the amount of $1,000 to cover costs associated with the preparation of the proposal and presentation.  

Anticipated Timeline 

Sept. 28, 2025: Deadline to respond to this Expression of Interest in CAFÉ  

Artist Notifications: No later than January 9, 2026 

Finalists Q&A meeting: week of January 12, 2026 

Written proposals with sketches due from finalists: February 12, 2026  

Virtual Finalist Proposal Presentations: anticipated the last two weeks of February 

Finalists notified of outcomes: No later than March 16, 2026 

Contracting, fabrication and installation schedules coordinated with PANYNJ 

Final installation of the mural is anticipated to be January 2027 

While the project timeline will be prioritized, all dates are subject to change. 

Application Requirements

Submission Requirements 

Expression of Interest in the form of a letter to the Art Selection Committee which includes: 

The artist's expressed interest in this project and description of artists’ connection to Newark- including confirming residency or art studio rental in Newark, NJ. 

Description of artists’ previous experience with similar projects- both size and budget. 

The artist’s expressed commitment to undertake the project’s installation in January 2027 

Three (3) References from similar projects with the contact's name, email, and telephone number. 

Artists’ Resume/CV outlining the artist's experience in similar public art projects. 

Work Samples of previously completed artworks- minimum of (4), maximum of (8), ideally examples of murals or other public art projects.  

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria 

Under N.J.S.A. 52:13D-19, employees of the State of New Jersey and PANYNJ (including PATH) are not eligible to submit work for this procurement.  

This project is open to artists/artist teams who are at least 18 years of age, legally able to complete a contract with PANYNJ, and meet the eligibility criteria stated in this call for artists- including residency/studio space in Newark, NJ. 

Artists (individuals or all team members) must be a New Jersey Resident. The lead artist must be a Newark, NJ resident, or maintain a rental art studio in Newark. Artists from Newark’s South Ward are highly encouraged to submit for consideration. Ineligible submissions will not be reviewed.  

Artist/teams must be able to work effectively and collaboratively with the PANYNJ team to further develop their initial proposal idea to a final approved project. Further, artists should consider the project timeline expectations prior to submitting a proposal. Artists who are not available to complete the installation of artwork in the timeline expressed are not eligible for this project. See the timeline section above.  

Questions?     

Technical assistance using CAFÉ is available at:  https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/    

Please use CAFÉ help resources for assistance setting up a CAFÉ account, and submitting through the CAFÉ platform.  

Please do not apply to this call if you do not meet the eligibility criteria. Eligibility will be verified. Ineligible submissions will not be viewed by jurors. 

Please direct any other questions regarding this opportunity to the New Jersey State Council on the Arts: 

PublicArtsInclusion@sos.nj.gov  

Tel: (609) 292-6130 

 NJ Relay: 711