MEMPHIS, TN - March 4, 2020

The UrbanArt Commission (UAC) released an open call to artists at Gooch Park for a $16,500 mural project. Gooch Park, located at 1265 University St., is a 10-acre city park featuring a picnic pavilion, basketball courts, shaded greenspace, a multi-use athletic field, and a public swimming pool. The park serves the Hollywood, Hyde Park, and Springdale neighborhoods. 

Founded by Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Milton and Boyce Alexander Gooch, and dedicated in 1957, Gooch Park was among the first parks in Memphis designated for African American residents. The public swimming pool opened in 1959; that same year, the park hosted the city’s first African American bicycle rodeo. Memphis musicians including Elvis Presley, Yo Gotti, Gangsta Pat, and Harvey Henderson of The Barkays have all been known to frequent the park. 

The Call to Artists for the mural opportunity is now open on UAC’s website and will close April 15, 2020 at midnight. The project includes: 

  • $16,500 mural on the side of the public pool. The H.U.G. Park Friends have expressed interest in a mural depicting the life of the reinvigorated park. Children, swimming, sports, community events and picnics, and the natural beauty of the park are all possible subjects.

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Following the close of the Calls to Artists on April 15th 2020 a selection committee, organized by the H.U.G. Park Friends, will review submitted portfolios, and will invite up to three finalists to submit design proposals. The selected artist will be expected to work closely with the H.U.G. Park Friends and UAC to execute the proposed mural. UAC is hosting two information sessions to share more about existing opportunities and support interested artists in putting together their application materials. An information session about all calls will be held on Wednesday, March 11 from 5:30 – 7 pm and Office Hours for interested artists on Thursday, March 26 from 3 – 7 pm at UAC’s offices. Please contact A.M. O’Malley- Miller via email at am@uacmem.org for more information about the information sessions and to reserve time with one of the UAC team to discuss the projects in greater detail. 

If you would like more information about this open Calls to Artists contact Program Manager Brett Hanover at brett@uacmem.org or 901.454.0474 ext. 102, or for more information about UAC please contact Ebony Archie at 901.290.0955 or ebony@uacmem.org,

About UrbanArt Commission: UAC is a Memphis-based non-profit organization dedicated to creating opportunities for artists and neighborhoods to connect and shape spaces through public art. UAC’s vision is for the arts to be integral to a thriving and equitable Memphis. With 100+ public art projects throughout the city, UAC aims to increase the density and impact of public art in neighborhoods across Memphis, while supporting new media and methods for public art. To stay up-to-date on all new projects and existing work in the city, go to uacmem.org. 

About HUG Park Friends: H.U.G. Park Friends is a grassroots neighborhood organization founded by Jo Ann Street in 2015. Thanks to the organization’s transformative work, Gooch has seen reduced crime, and now hosts regular sporting events, free lunch events for youth, litter cleanups, and other volunteer programs. Memphis City Beautiful noted that the H.U.G. Park Friends were one of the most active groups in their Adopt-A-Park program.