Call Description

Overview & Guidelines: 

ArtWorks is the metro Cincinnati region’s only year-round, workforce development program in the arts. Since launching in 1996, ArtWorks has hired over 4,000 youth (ages 14-24, the majority of whom identify as BIPOC and come from historically marginalized communities) and 3,000 professional artists to create public art projects that instill civic pride and an elevated quality of life for all. Our youth apprentice program addresses unemployment for young artists from disadvantaged backgrounds, providing career exploration, work skills, and social and emotional learning that cultivates the confidence young people need to pursue education and career opportunities. As the primary generator of public art in Greater Cincinnati and the largest employer of visual artists, our mission is to create community-based public art. ArtWorks has created over 300 large-scale outdoor murals and thousands of other art outcomes across Greater Cincinnati. As part of the America250-Ohio campaign, ArtWorks hopes to further its work in public art and civic engagement by celebrating and shining a light on the Ohio Tuskegee Airmen through multiple mural installations across the state of Ohio in 2026. Visit www.artworkscincinnati.org to learn more about our history and portfolio. 

What is America250? America250 is a multi-year effort to commemorate the semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary, of the United States. This effort is led by the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission - created by Congress - and its America250 Foundation, which the Commission established to support its work. Together, their purpose is to catalyze a more perfect union by designing and leading the most comprehensive and inclusive celebration in our country’s history. America250 represents a coalition of public and private partners all working to create initiatives and programs that honor our first 250 years and inspire Americans to imagine our next 250. The commemoration period began in 2020, culminates on July 4, 2026, and officially concludes in 2027. America250’s efforts focus on three themes: celebrating diversity of American life and our common humanity; deepening our understanding of American history to strive towards our highest ideals; and inspiring a new movement of civic engagement to build our united future. The America250 Commission is led by Chairwoman Rosie Rios, former Secretary of the U.S. Treasury. You can learn more about America250 by visiting online at www.america250.org. 

Inspired by America250’s three main themes, ArtWorks aims to participate in AM250-OH by creating murals in multiple cities that celebrate a selection of Tuskegee Airmen from Ohio in Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Toledo. Beginning with a state-wide Call to Artists, ArtWorks will invite artists of all backgrounds, ages, and disciplines to submit their qualifications for review. ArtWorks will then select up to three (3) artists to create designs that will be translated into a series of murals painted by a separate artistic team. The mural designs will eventually be professionally painted on substrate by an artistic team employed by ArtWorks and installed in public spaces throughout Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Toledo. Each design/mini-mural will illuminate the story of a different Tuskegee Airman from Ohio. The murals, designed by artists who apply to and are selected through the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) - Call to Artist process, will feature the portraits of approximately 18 total Tuskegee Airmen from Ohio. This is an exciting opportunity for artists to connect with and capture the essence of the Ohio Tuskegee Airmen by drawing on history to create contemporary works of art for public viewing. 

Exceptional portraiture and eye-catching colors are critical elements that will simultaneously draw attention to the artwork and communicate the personality and essence of each featured Airman. Each design should consider the role of visual storytelling as a foundational component of this project and how the installation as a whole aims to be celebratory and illuminating in nature. Upon advancing to the Request for Proposal/Designs (RFP) phase, selected artists should consider the unique characteristics of their assigned Airmen while also understanding and artfully illustrating the unifying aspects between each Airman through his service. Successful artwork will weave together historical references with contemporary design elements, and it should consider how it can stand out among a group of portraits/designs. Each selected artist will receive a creative brief that includes reference imagery and background information on each assigned Airman. Artists should feel empowered to bring their artistic style to design work through the two-dimensional medium of their choice; however, all designs must be submitted to ArtWorks digitally. Those digital submissions will then be translated into hand-painted outcomes for each installation grouping, ideally achieving artistic variety for viewers to enjoy for a minimum of three years following the physical installation of each piece. 

Key Words & Phrases 

• Celebratory & Iconic
• Colorful & Engaging
• Past & Future
• Heritage Preservation
• Cultural Legacy
• Historical Representation
• Storytelling

Site Plans/Site Information:

ArtWorks will be collaborating with arts organizations and local entities throughout Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Toledo to identify public spaces to host the final artistic outcomes. Tentatively, the number of portraits per city is planned as follows: 

• Cincinnati: 6 Airmen Portraits
• Cleveland: 6 Airmen Portraits
• Toledo: 6 Airmen Portraits

Selected artists will be informed of which city their artwork will be installed in prior to beginning design work. The portraits in each city may be installed together as a group or spread out across the city, requiring artists to consider how each design should be able to exist together in a group or independently. 

Budget/Funding: 

• A design fee of $3,000 ($500 per portrait) to be paid to each artist if selected as a finalist following the RFQ. Artists are responsible for managing the stipend amount to cover all costs for design development, including design fee, labor, and chosen materials.
• Artists will not be responsible for any expenses beyond the creation of the portrait designs.
• Stipend(s) to be paid to the selected artists in two increments ($1,000 upon contract signing & $2,000 upon completion of the artwork). A contract, creative brief, and design guidelines will be issued to each selected artist following the RFQ.

Timeline:

• 2025
• Phase 1 (RFQ) launch: September 12, 2025
• Phase 1 (RFQ) closed: November 10, 2025
• ArtWorks selects & notifies up to three (3) artists to advance for the design phase: December 1, 2025
• Artist contracts signed and W9s submitted to ArtWorks: December 12, 2025
• 2026
• First design iterations, invoices, and W9s due from Artists: February 10, 2026
• Second design iterations due from Artists: February 27, 2026
• All designs final and approved by ArtWorks: March 6, 2026
• Second invoice due from Artists: March 9, 2026
• Murals painted Summer 2026
• Murals Installed Summer / Fall 2026: Locations TBD

Application Requirements

Résumé/CV 

1. Contact information* 

2. Artist Bio (250 words)*

3. Artist Headshot*

4. Link to Website or Digital Portfolio

5. Previous Relevant Art Commissions 

6. Relevant Exhibitions, Awards, Grants, etc.

5. Background/Education 

*  -  indicates required materials

Artwork Images*

• Submit a minimum of three (3) and up to five (5) relevant images of completed artworks and/or commissions from the last ten years.
• Accompanying the images with a reference sheet detailing high-level information about each chosen piece such as but not limited to: Title, Date, Location, Media/Material, etc.

Letter of Interest - Please include the following information in a brief 1-page letter of interest: 

• Contact Information (name, address, phone number, and website/portfolio)
• Description of your interest in and/or your connection to the project content

Eligibility Criteria

Qualifications: 

• Artists of all backgrounds are encouraged to participate in the RFQ process.
• Artists must have ties to Ohio (explained in Letter of Interest) or currently reside in Ohio.
• Must have experience with portraiture and 2-dimensional design development.

Selection Criteria: 

• Quality of work samples
• Artistic aesthetic
• Ability to meet project deadlines and milestones
• Connection to Ohio and/or project content