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 a larger renovation project taking place at the Cincinnati Convention Center, ArtWorks hopes to support its local community partner, 3CDC, in bringing a new large-scale mural to downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, that reflects the energy and investments being made at the nearby convention center, convention headquarters hotel, parking garage, and Elm Street Plaza. Visit www.artworkscincinnati.org to learn more about our history and portfolio. 

Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC), along with the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, has been engaged in a years-long renovation of the Cincinnati Convention Center, creation of the accompanying Elm Street Plaza, and has also assisted with the development of the convention headquarters hotel, which will consist of 700 rooms, a full service three-meal restaurant, and will be attached by bridge to both the parking garage and convention center. Located in the heart of downtown Cincinnati, the Center is currently undergoing significant upgrades aimed at enhancing its attractiveness, flexibility, and environmental efficiency. Led by 3CDC, these improvements include modernized interior spaces, a new elongated glass facade, and a two-acre outdoor park (Elm Street Plaza). Part of these improvements includes investing in public art installations that will enrich both the interior and exterior spaces at the Center. Visit https://www.3cdc.org/projects/ to learn more about 3CDC and its project portfolio.

In late 2024, 3CDC contracted ArtWorks to lead local project stakeholders in the development of a theme that would serve as a unifying creative direction for newly fabricated artwork to be installed in the Center and on the Plaza in late 2025 and early 2026. After stakeholders completed a series of meetings and surveys, ArtWorks and its collaborators moved forward with the theme of Convergence: Pieces Creating a Whole, which celebrates the dynamic process of uniting diverse elements to form a cohesive and impactful whole. Like the convention center itself—a space that brings together people, ideas, and experiences—this theme illustrates how different identities, stories, and perspectives intersect to create a larger, interconnected narrative. The concept of “Convergence” goes beyond mere coexistence; it highlights the power of synergy, where the sum is truly greater than its parts. This overarching theme serves as a visual and conceptual guide, ensuring that each artwork within and outside the convention center builds on the narrative of unity through diversity, making the space a vibrant testament to collective strength and creative collaboration.

ArtWorks and 3CDC are teaming up again by asking the creative community in Cincinnati and beyond to imagine the artistic possibilities this theme could yield for a large-scale mural design. Located at 212 W. 4th Street is a parking garage that sits within view of the convention center, making this opportunity separate but connected to the renovations underway at the Center. In addition to the mural installation, the renovation of the 780-space garage will receive a series of upgrades that include the addition of a new elevator and stair tower, EV chargers, and LED lighting throughout. Responding to the theme of Convergence, ArtWorks and 3CDC seek applications in response to this Request for Qualifications from artists interested in designing artwork for the exterior facade at 212 W. 4th Street detailed below. Beginning with a nationwide Call to Artists, ArtWorks and 3CDC will invite artists of all backgrounds, ages, and disciplines to submit their qualifications for review. ArtWorks and 3CDC will then select up to three (3) semi-finalist artists to create design proposals. Proposals will be reviewed and one artist will be selected as the finalist and sole mural designer. The final design will be translated into the mural at a later date by the designing artist* or a professional artistic team employed by ArtWorks. 

*Note: Designing artists must be comfortable potentially handing over their design to a local production team but should note in their application if they have the experience and desire to produce the artwork under a separate contract/budget in 2026. ArtWorks and 3CDC will determine the production method/team at a later date.

While ArtWorks and 3CDC remain open to reviewing portfolios that reflect a variety of artistic styles, interested applicants should take note of the previously mentioned theme, Convergence: Pieces Creating a Whole, to guide their design development. Additionally, it should be considered that the mural aims to be a piece of public art that is approachable and can be enjoyed by those who live, work, and visit downtown Cincinnati. Due to the mural’s close proximity to the convention center, convention center hotel, and plaza, the artwork should enhance the experience of those visiting Cincinnati, helping them feel excited about the beauty of the city and all it has to offer.  

Upon advancing to the Request for Proposal/Designs (RFP) phase, selected artists will be asked to respond to the guidelines above as well as an accompanying, more detailed creative brief. Successful artwork will reflect the energy and investments being made to the downtown Cincinnati landscape, and the artist(s) should consider how their design can stand out within a city filled with an exceptional public art portfolio and history. 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. 

Key Words & Phrases 

• Energetic & Vibrant
• Colorful & Engaging
• Thoughtful & Responsive
• Unique & Eye-Catching
• Fresh & Contemporary

Timeline:

2025

• Phase 1 (RFQ) launch: Mid-Late October 2025

2026

• Phase 1 (RFQ) closed: January 5, 2026
• ArtWorks/3CDC review applications and select three (3) semi-finalist artists to advance for the RFP design phase: Week of January 19, 2026
• Contracts & creative briefs issued to semi-finalists: January 30, 2026
• Design concept proposals due from Artists: February 16, 2026
• ArtWorks/3CDC select and contract finalist: February 20, 2026
• Final design due from Artist: March 16, 2026
• Revised final design due from Artist (if needed): March 23, 2026
• On-site mural production: April - May 2026
   

Application Requirements

Required information for this application: 

Résumé/CV 

• Contact information*
• Artist Bio (250 words)*
• Artist Headshot*
• Link to Website or Digital Portfolio
• Previous Relevant Art Commissions
• Relevant Exhibitions, Awards, Grants, etc.
• 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 the project

Eligibility Criteria

Qualifications: 

• Artists of all backgrounds are encouraged to participate in the RFQ process.
• Artists must have experience with 2-dimensional design development.
• Mural production experience is NOT required.

Selection Criteria: 

• Quality of work samples
• Artistic aesthetic
• Ability to meet project deadlines and milestones
• Ability to creatively respond to the theme