Call Description

Introduction to the Project 
Courthouse Plaza is a new public gathering space in downtown Albemarle. It is located in a former alleyway which stretches from West Main Street to King Avenue. The Courthouse Plaza project is part of a downtown streetscape masterplan, which has produced several upgrades to the downtown area including new navigational signage, new banners on light poles, new outdoor furnishings, and other beautifications.    

The Courthouse Plaza project transformed the section from West Main Street to King Avenue into a pedestrian plaza with lighting, seating, and the potential for other amenities, including public art. The proposed mural wall faces east. The facade of the building is brick and is two stories high. 

The City of Albemarle, North Carolina, is seeking proposals from artists with experience in the design and execution of a large mural. The proposed artwork should be engaging and inviting, beautify Courthouse Plaza, enhance the quality of life for Albemarle citizens, attract tourism, promote arts and culture, and encourage businesses to locate within the city. The mural should also be designed as a memorable visual landmark that prompts visitors to stop, take photographs, and share their experience, further extending the reach and impact of the artwork.

About the City of Albemarle, North Carolina 

The City of Albemarle is the largest municipality in Stanly County and is the county seat. We’re a community of thriving businesses and friendly neighborhoods with the charm of a small town. With a population of approximately 17,000, Albemarle stretches more than 17 square miles. 

Located in the beautiful Uwharrie Lakes region near two of the state’s largest urban areas—Charlotte and the Piedmont Triad, Albemarle offers incomparable outdoor activities, including camping, hiking, boating, fishing, and swimming.  

The City of Albemarle is a North Carolina Main Street Community and takes pride in the Historic Downtown District. We’re dedicated to preserving old Albemarle while welcoming new business and industry to become part of the fabric of our community. To learn more about the downtown district, please visit https://www.albemarledowntown.com/  

Mural Site Location and Specifications 

The City of Albemarle will commission a professional artist to paint a large-scale mural that encompasses our goals of enhancing the quality of life for Albemarle citizens, attracting tourism, promoting arts and culture, beautifying Courthouse Plaza, and encouraging businesses to locate within the city. The downtown district has many murals of varying styles. These include: 

• Modern murals (including a spray-painted mural opposite of the chosen wall)
• Hand-painted, restored historic murals depicting advertisements or historic business signage
• Preserved & restored ghost signs featuring advertisements or historic business signage

The chosen wall for the mural is located at 119 W Main St, facing east toward Courthouse Plaza. The wall measures approximately 100 feet in length and varies in height between 27 and 31 feet, with a total surface area of roughly 2,900 square feet. 

The City of Albemarle is open to proposals that incorporate all or part of the wall’s surface into the mural footprint. Because of the wall’s placement within the plaza, its viewing angle is relatively narrow—nearby buildings on the opposite side limit the depth of perspective. Artists should consider how the mural will be perceived both up close by pedestrians in the plaza and from a distance by drivers and pedestrians traveling east along W Main St. 

 If the design extends across the fire escape and metal doors, these elements may be integrated, provided the fire escape remains in place and painted in a contrasting color per fire code requirements. 

Application Requirements

The following is required for consideration as a completed proposal:  

• Contact information: Name, address, telephone number, email address
• Resume/CV for lead artist(s)
• Written narrative describing your artistic vision and proposal (No longer than 3,000 characters)
• Sketches to explain your vision. No use of artificial intelligence is permitted
• Response to the following: There is a possibility that the bricked-over windows would be opened up in the future. How would that impact your design?
• Materials list (with a longevity rating of 10-15 years)
• Size of proposed mural
• A maintenance plan (including estimated annual cost) and expected lifespan of the mural
• Optional additional support materials (i.e. news article on past work).
• Examples of past work (Maximum of 6)
• Professional references (Minimum of 2)
• Entry fee of $30.00 per design submitted

Semi-finalists will be asked to provide a proposed installation timeline and estimated budget. 

Budget 
Recognizing that the City of Albemarle is flexible in consideration of the size/scope of the façade treatment area (given that not all of the wall surface may be used), it follows that the budget may vary widely. Up to $35,000 has been identified for the purposes of this project. Artist will be responsible for their own travel costs, surface preparation, materials (including scaffolding/lifts), and personal liability insurance. The proposed cost of the project will be a factor in the selection process. Artists are encouraged to submit a fair budget for the project, as cost will be weighed in addition to the other listed considerations. 

Up to three semi-finalists will be paid a $500 stipend for their proposals. 

Selection Process 
A seven-person, representative committee has been established and will review all completed proposals. Committee members include a professional artist, local arts council representatives, the building owner, a Historic Resource Commission member, and community members. The committee will select up to three semifinalists to interview, and select one finalist for the project.  

The following will be considered in the selection process: 

• Artist met the requirements outlined in the Prospectus; the proposal was submitted by the deadline.
• Artist’s reputation and evidence of ability to create large-scale, distinctive work
• Attention to the goals of the project
• Demonstrated ability to maintain project timelines and budgets
• Concept and design
• Originality and creativity
• Materials used
• Size of mural
• Cost and budget for the project, including travel & lodging, surface preparation, materials (including scaffolding/lifts), and personal liability insurance
• Estimated timeline of completion

Eligibility Criteria

This call is open to all US-based artists. Artists may submit a maximum of three proposals. Of course, artists from North Carolina are strongly encouraged to apply. Candidates must be professional artists, designers, or fabricators or partnered with professional artists, designers, or fabricators; eligible to work in the United States; and age 18 and older. The artist must be available to oversee the installation of the mural. Candidates must use quality materials that are rated for 10-15 years.