City of Memphis | UrbanArt Commission

Hollywood + Vollintine | Wall of Wisdom mural

Budget: $30,000 (includes three finalist honoraria of $500 each)

Selected Artist: Reanna Ruddick and Kendrick Pendleton

Upcoming Benchmark/ Status: Final Design/ Fabrication

Next committee meeting date: TBD


BACKGROUND

About The Partner : The Palmershire Neighborhood Association: 

The Palmershire neighborhood represents 350 homes on 10 streets within the boundaries of Vollintine on the north, Jackson on the south, Springdale on the west and Hollywood on the east. The entrance sits on Vollintine off Hollywood at the top of the incline behind the retaining wall. This site has faced issues with dumping and overgrowth, leading neighborhood residents to take action. Improvements to the entrance of the neighborhood were supported by a grant and in-kind donations from Memphis City Beautiful, funds from the Palmshire Neighborhood Association, and a special fundraising effort from one of the area streets. Tires and debris were cleared through a significant cleaning effort, and a retaining wall was built with accompanied landscaping. Hall’s Stables in Westwood, PPC and Hyde Park all contributed to the clean up effort. The neighborhood residents are also collaborating with area churches to promote gardening as a community outreach, bridging the churches to the community. “We all need to have access to food production to become a stronger, more self-sustaining community.”- Mr. Samuel Ballard, president of the Palmershire Neighborhood Association.


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

This wall is located near Springdale Elementary, a school that is rich with history in the Memphis area. Springdale is known as one of the first four schools in the City of Memphis to integrate in the early 60’s.  The location of this wall is also a high traffic area with high visibility for commuters. The wall transitions from a high peak to a lower end creating directional movement for those who pass by it on the daily.

SCOPE OF WORK

UAC and The City of Memphis, in partnership with Palmershire Park are seeking an artist to create a mural.


The selection committee has expressed interest in enhancements that:

  • lift up the neighborhood as a whole and support a sense of community

  • include skillfully done lettering 

  • transform this blank canvas into a “wall of wisdom” that teaches and encourages

  • inspire higher levels of thinking and give new insights

  • represent the faces of those who live in the neighborhood

  • incorporate bright colors and bold positive images/words

  • portray the neighborhood’s sense of doing for self

  • encompass inspirational quotes

UAC is committed to equity and inclusion in our work, both in the artists and organizations supported through the development of public art. UAC is especially interested in applications from artists who have not previously received public art commissions. People of color, differently-abled persons, indigenous peoples, LGBTQ+, seniors, and women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Note* these measurements are accurate to the dimension of the wall

SELECTION COMMITTEE

Mr. Samuel Ballard – Resident & President of Palmershire ParkNeighborhood Association

Mrs. Coronda Ewing – Hollywood + Vollintine resident

Mrs. Donavon Scott – Springdale Elementary Art Teacher

Tony Hawkins – Visual artist

Joy Touliatos – Deputy Director for Public Works

Kate Haywood – Architect Daily Design Group

Michael Swindle – City of Memphis Engineering Division (non-voting)

PROJECT BUDGET

Total project budget is $30,000, including artist honoraria - up to three finalists will receive a $ 500 honorarium for a site-specific proposal - and consulting fees. Design budget $7,125; Fabrication budget $21,375 all-inclusive.

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.

For more information about this project, please contact:

Travis Washington | Program Manager| 901.221.4077 | travis@uacmem.org