Call Description

Old Town Winchester is located in the scenic Northern Shenandoah Valley and includes a centrally located walking mall with many locally owned shops, cozy restaurants, craft breweries, and inviting coffee spots. Friends of Old Town, a local nonprofit benefiting the downtown, is working in partnership with a local building owner and the John and Janice Wyatt Foundation to install a single mural across three walking mall store fronts (54 S Loudoun Street to 102 S Loudoun Street), with approximate dimensions of 12’ high by 62.5’ wide. The mural will stretch over the second story brick facade of Rhythm Studio & Dance Wear, a currently vacant storefront, and Thinker Toys. The mural will be across from a public “splash pad” that sees a high volume of young child and family use throughout the summer. The theme for the project is youth literacy and the vision is to have a mural that feels immersive and feels like it tells a story. 

Submitting artists should have experience designing and painting murals. While a concept sketch is not required for submission, a brief written description of the design is required. This description should reflect the project theme and context of the project site, while being respectful of the greater context of the community; the proposed design must also be family-friendly and cannot depict sexual conduct or sexually explicit nudity nor advertise an activity illegal under the laws of Virginia or the United States. Project leaders may contact applicants for clarification of their project prior to final selection. 

The selected artists whose proposals best meet the project objectives will receive a $500 stipend to submit a concept design image of the proposed artwork, scaled to the space and digitally shown in the context of the project site. From these concept designs, a single artist will be chosen. Their concept design will undergo one round of review by the Stakeholder Committee before it is finalized with the artist and mural installation may begin. 

The budget for this project is $12,000 and covers concept designs, the artist fee, paint supplies, equipment rentals, and any other expenses incurred and arranged by the artist in association with the design and completion of this mural project. The artist’s stay in Winchester will be paid for separately and covered by either a local artist residency, the Peter Bullough Foundation, or by local residents. Any necessary personal protection equipment for the safe completion of the project must be purchased by the artist.

Application Requirements

• Resume or CV
• 8 examples of previous mural work from within the last 5 years; must include at least two projects, may include close ups or views of the project from multiple angles
• 2 professional references
• Statement of interest about the project
• Written description of the proposed mural, which should reference promoting youth literacy through an immersive, story-building visual

Eligibility Criteria

Artists will be reviewed by a panel of community jurors, with final selections being made by a core team of patrons, building owner, and project leaders. The following criteria will be considered: 

• Past murals must show a high level of quality and execution
• Proposed mural must be in alignment with the mission of promoting youth literacy through an immersive, story-building visual
• Artists that respond to the distinctive characteristics of the site and the surrounding community
• Artists should be able to communicate and coordinate successfully as a member of an overall project team
• Artist must be able to complete the mural between August 1 and November 15