Release Date: Friday, March 28, 2025 at 11:00am
Deadline: Friday, May 2nd, 2025 at 11:59 pm
Eligibility: Any artist living and working within the Memphis metropolitan area. Artists may submit only one proposal per project opportunity, but are invited to submit as a team if desirable.
BACKGROUND
About Chelsea Wall/Evergreen Area:
Built in the 1940's by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers , the wall is part of a levee system that protects Memphis from rising flood water. Part of a $12 million project completed in the late 1940s WPA project- floodwall during the Depression that the newspapers called "the greatest engineering project ever undertaken in this city, and probably the one most vital to our city's commercial life." The Chelsea flood wall protects thousands of people in North Memphis from the Wolf River, which is higher than usual just like the Mississippi River. This area began as a community of emancipated slaves and freedmen shortly after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and existed as a part of Shelby County until the early 1960s. Rich with history, this area was known for many things such as being one of the earliest producers of vinyl records. Being home to historic figures like esteemed Tuskegee Airmen Lt. Col. Luke Weathers and community activists such as Minister Sekura, formerly known as Lance" Sweet Willie Wine" of the invaders. The area is also home to Kilowatt lake, which is known for being the second largest lake in the city limits; it once supported outdoor active lifestyles and activities.
SITE SPECIFICS
UAC and the Selection Committee are seeking multiple artists to create murals on the Chelsea Floodwall. This wall is located along Chelsea Ave in the North Memphis area. 38108 Zipcode AreaThe northern section of the concrete flood wall runs roughly parallel to the Wolf River, snaking in and out of neighborhoods along Chelsea Avenue, and ending just east of North McLean Street. The flood walls are 12 inches thick and stand anywhere from 3 to 8 feet high, depending on their location. Each panel on the wall measures approximately 20 ft in width. The southern portion remains unpainted, and starts running along Nonconnah Creek, begins at Martin Luther King / Riverside Park and stretches eastward to Prospect Street, near Pine Hills Golf Course.
*Image of the Northern Section of the wall that will be painted. Wall is .3mi long
*At nearly 500 acres, Kilowatt Lake the second largest lake in the City of Memphis.
* image used is to show the average height of the wall
SCOPE OF WORK
UAC and The City of Memphis are seeking multiple artists to create murals on the Chelsea Floodwall. The murals will speak to the pride of the community, engage neighborhood youth, and pay tribute to the area’s history while focusing on growth and development.
The selection committee has expressed interest in a mural that:
Highlights environmental issues, social justice themes, and community aspirations, respect for oneself and the neighborhood, encouraging good neighborliness
Discourages littering and pollution, etc.
Create depth in a composition - consider foreground, middle ground, and background
Celebrates a sense of pride, longevity and the value of family
Feels warm and welcoming to visitors and residents who pass the mural daily
Challenges viewers to learn something through the art
Children at play
Promotes value of education/ and the black history of the area
Advocates for protecting the beauty of Mother Earth/nature, Gardening and Flowers
Promoting Healthy living
Mural themes that are motivational, educational, and historical
Kilowatt Lake
PROJECT EXPECTATIONS
A selection committee organized by UAC will review submitted proposals submitted by artists. The selected finalist will submit site-specific final design proposals. The selected artists/ artists teams, will be expected to work closely with the Selection Committee and UAC to execute the proposed murals as the designs will need to flow together.
SELECTION COMMITTEE
Natasha Strong, Resident
Louise Jones , Resident
Pamela P Moses, Rise-Up
Chief-Andre Matthews , Resident and Oka Nashoba Community Development
Katyana Dandridge, MPA
Lead Multicultural Outreach CoordinatorPastor Melvin Lee, __________
Atitia Carter , Multicultural Outreach Coordinator
Fred Robinson , Resident
Gloria Fulton Singleton , Resident
Lenora Pipkin, Resident
Michalyn Easter-Thomas, Councilwoman
Syd Lerner, Vice Chair Greater Memphis Greenline
Engineering Person (TBD)
PROJECT BUDGET
For this project up to a maximum 15 finalists may be selected and will receive a design and fabrication budget of $10,000 - $13,000 depending on how many artists/ artist teams are selected by the Selection Committee. That will be broken down into three payments that align with milestones for the project.
PROJECT TIMELINE
Fri, March 28th, 2025 RFQ released
Wed, April TBD, 2025 UAC Information Session
Friday, May 2nd, 2025 RFQ deadline
Wed, May 22nd, 2025 Notify finalists of Final Design Invitation
Mon, June 19th, 2025 Final Design deadline
Early Fall 2025 Completion celebration
APPLICATION GUIDELINES
Please submit the following materials online by following the “Chelsea Wall” link at uacmem.org/calls-to-artists:
Completed application form
A typed letter explaining your interest in the project and your general approach/concept to its design and production.
Upload a flushed out proposal of the design you would like to submit to the committee for consideration.
Up to 20 images of your previous work
Résumé or CV, not to exceed 2 pages.
List of three professional references, including current phone and email.
Clicking on the blue Submit button below will redirect you to our Submittable page, which contains all of our current open opportunities. Click the Submit button next to the opportunity that you wish to apply for, or if you are already within an opportunity, scroll down to the Create your account / Have an account? Sign in form.
If you already have a Submittable account, click the Have an account? Sign in tab to sign in to your account.
If you don’t have an account, you must create one to apply. Create your free account by filling out the Create your account form. Fill in all information and click the Create Account and Continue button to continue with the submission process.
From there, you will be able to complete and submit your application. You can now use this account login when submitting to all future UAC opportunities. Once you have submitted your application, you will receive a confirmation email that confirms receipt of your full application.
INFORMATION SESSION
UAC will host a virtual information session for interested artists on (Wednesday, April TBD at 5:30 pm). The virtual session will be recorded and a link made available to applicants who are unable to attend during that time. Interested artists who have not completed a public art project previously or not completed a mural at this scale are strongly encouraged to reach out to the UAC team in advance of submitting their application. Artists may also schedule a meeting with UAC staff to review their application and portfolio. Appointments are available until 1 week prior to the close of the call to artists. See project contact information below. *DATE OF THE INFORMATION SESSION WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND ON OUR UAC-EVENTS PAGE*
COMMUNICATION NEEDS
Upon applying for an artist call with UAC, selected artists are expected to submit the following:
Artist Headshot
Artist Name
Social Media Handles
Artist Statement
For more information about this project, please contact:
Travis Washington | Program Manager
901.221.4077 | Travis@uacmem.org
This RFQ can be found on www.uacmem.org/calls-to-artists
DISCLAIMERS
UAC is committed to equity and inclusion in our work. People of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, differently-abled and neurodiverse persons, indigenous peoples, youth, seniors, and women are strongly encouraged to apply.
Applicants will be notified as to the status of their application. Commissioning of artists by UAC and the pursuit of all UAC activities are implemented without preference to racial or ethnic origins, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, disability, or age.
UAC reserves the right to modify this solicitation and to request additional information from participating artists.
UAC reserves the right to accept or reject, at any time prior to the commissioning of a work, any or all proposals when the acceptance, rejection, waiver or advertisement would be in the best interest of the project.
The UAC team will be responsible for all correspondence and communication by and between applicants and members of selection panels. Discussion regarding these projects by and between any applicant and any member of a selection panel outside of regularly scheduled meetings during the selection process may be grounds for the disqualification of the applicant. Such determination shall be at the discretion of UAC.
