CITY OF MEMPHIS | UrbanArt Commission
DOWNTOWN ELEMENTARY | CALL TO ARTISTS
Release Date: Wednesday, September 17th, 2025
Budget: $20000 (includes three finalist honoraria of $500 each)
Deadline: Monday, November 3, 2025 at 11:59pm
Eligibility: Any artist living and working within the Memphis metropolitan area. Artists are invited to submit collaborative work if desired, but may only submit one proposal per project opportunity. Artists are encouraged to identify collaboration with experienced crosswalk fabricators, if needed, prior to submitting an application. While there is no limit to the number of calls an artist may apply to at once, UAC strongly encourages artists to consider both the time and scale of each call.
Information Session: Thursday, October 16 @ 5:30pm, RSVP now.
BACKGROUND
About Downtown Memphis:
Downtown Memphis is the historic heart of the city, where the Mississippi Riverfront, iconic Beale Street, and a thriving cultural and civic core meet. The neighborhood is home to public parks, theaters, museums, restaurants, and civic institutions, including City Hall and the Shelby County Courthouse. It is a vibrant and growing community where residents, workers, and visitors connect daily. With its mix of historic architecture, modern development, and cultural landmarks, Downtown represents the spirit and identity of Memphis as a city that celebrates creativity, resilience, and innovation.
About Downtown Elementary School
Downtown Elementary, home of the Skyscrapers, serves children in grades Pre-K through 5 and is part of Shelby County Schools. Located in the center of the city, the school emphasizes academic excellence, strong community partnerships, and experiential learning. Its student body reflects the broader downtown neighborhood, creating a dynamic environment that values inclusivity and collaboration. The school’s mission is to foster curiosity, leadership, and achievement, preparing students to rise to new heights—just like the skyscrapers that inspire its name.
About UAC:
The UrbanArt Commission (UAC) works to create opportunities for artists and neighborhoods to connect and shape spaces through public art. Since 2002, UAC has managed the City of Memphis’s Percent-For-Art Program, which allocates funds annually to develop public art in connection to capital improvement projects. UAC also facilitates public art projects throughout the city working with various partners and clients to support artists and new experiences with art.
SITE SPECIFICS
UAC and the City of Memphis, in partnership with Downtown Elementary School, are seeking an artist to create three distinct crosswalks. The preferred location is at the intersection of N 4th Street and Court St.
SCOPE OF WORK
UAC and the City of Memphis, in partnership with Downtown Elementary School, are seeking an artist to create three distinct crosswalks that highlights Downtown’s unique culture and residents.
The selection committee has expressed interest in crosswalks that:
Include themes of community, youth, education
Include positive messaging
Pays homage to the rich history of the area
Complies with the City of Memphis crosswalk guidelines (This information will be shared with selected finalists.)
The commissioned artist(s) will be selected based on the strength of their qualifications submitted, ability to adhere to deadlines and work within the stated budget. Applicants are expected to have or collaborate/subcontract with appropriate vendors to meet the necessary technical capabilities to design and install such projects, including providing maintenance instructions. The artist(s) will work with the UAC Program Managers to coordinate community engagement efforts. This engagement should help inform the final design. The finished project must require little to no regular maintenance. Final artwork should complement the characteristics and neighborhood identity of the site. The artist(s) selected shall be expected to collaborate closely with site engineers, landscape architects, and any necessary party for the successful installation of the project, including residents. NOTE: Commissioned artists are permitted to work with outside contractors to fabricate the actual work of art.
PROJECT EXPECTATIONS
A selection committee organized by UAC will review submitted portfolios, and will invite finalists to submit site-specific design proposals. All finalists will receive a stipend of $500 for their designs. The selected artist will be expected to work closely with the Selection Committee and UAC to execute the proposed crosswalks.
SELECTION COMMITTEE
Brandye Williams - Principal, Downtown Elementary School
Narvia Smith-Taylor- Assistant Principal, Downtown Elementary School
Shalonda Black - Assistant Principal, Downtown Elementary School
Taurus Brazil- Professional Learning Coach, Downtown Elementary School
Yvonne Morton- Optional School Coordinator, Downtown Elementary School
William Ezzell-City Traffic Engineering Division
*Public Vote: Collected public votes will serve as one additional selection committee vote for the final selected artist following the submission of proposals from project finalists.
PROJECT BUDGET
Total project budget is $20000, including artist honoraria - up to three finalists will receive a $500 honorarium for a site-specific proposal. Design budget $4625; Fabrication budget $13,875 all-inclusive.
PROJECT TIMELINE
Wednesday, September 17th, 2025 RFQ released
Thursday, October 16th, 2025 UAC Information Session
Monday, November 3rd, 2025 RFQ deadline
Late November 2025 Notify finalists of RFP invitation
January 2025 Finalists Presentations & Artist Selection
Fall 2026 Completion celebration
APPLICATION GUIDELINES
Please submit the following materials online by clicking the submit button below.
Completed application form
A typed letter explaining your interest in the project and your general approach/concept to its design and production. Please do not submit design proposals at this point.
Up to 20 images of past work including title of work, date, medium, budget and project partners, if any.
Resume or CV, not to exceed 2 pages.
List of three professional references, including current phone and email.
Clicking on the Submit button 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.
For more information about this project, please contact:
Kayla J. Smith-Hardy | Sr. Program Manager
901.343.6983 | kayla@uacmem.org
INFORMATION SESSIONS
UAC will host an information session for interested artists on Wednesday, October 15, 2025. The 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 in the above section.
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.
