The Village of Spring Lake Art in the Park Project is proud to release this Call for Artists currently enrolled in Spring Lake High School!
The goal of Art in the Park has been to bring public art to the Village of Spring Lake along our Lakeside Trail, a linear park that runs through the Village connecting us to our neighboring communities. Since 2018 we have raised the funds that have enabled us to commission two murals with the hope of completing a third in Spring of 2020. We are also raising funds to commission a sculpture to honor the memory of Gary and Vicki Verplank, community members whose love for the Village was demonstrated in all that they did to supported it.
Now, with a generous grant from the Grand Haven Area Community Fund’s Youth Advisory Council, we would like to announce that we are looking for an artist or team of artists from out very own Spring Lake High School to create a new mural at the site of our community’s unique live music venue, Seven Steps Up. This particular location is ideally suited for art and additionally has the potential to be shared with so many residents and visitors.
Project Description: The Village of Spring Lake is looking for creative, vibrant and engaging design proposals for a mural to be painted on the north, first floor side of Seven Steps Up. The theme for this mural revolves around Community & Cultural Well Being. We are looking for a visual representation of how music and art embrace and bring together cultural diversity. Artists may enter proposals either on their own or as a group. It is highly recommended that artists share and discuss their visions with Mrs. Gwinnup or another experienced artist to be sure it will work in the large format of this canvas. They are also encouraged to visit the location at 116 W. Jackson before submitting their design proposals.
Compensation: The chosen artists will be commissioned to paint their mural for an established price of $10/sq. foot. The Village of Spring Lake will then provide the artists with a $.93/sq. foot stipend for the most sustainable materials and equipment available. All paint and supplies will be purchased through a source chosen by the Village and paid for with the stipend. Additional materials may become the responsibility of the artist once the stipend has been spent.
Artwork Location Description: (See Visual Support Materials below for wall diagrams) A portion of the north side of Seven Steps Up – 116 S. Jackson St. , Spring Lake, MI. This canvas is 12’x14’ and very textured.
Commission Budget: $1,680
Selection Process: All eligible applications will be evaluated by the Selection Committee, the Village of Spring Lake Community, the building owners and the Village Council. All will consider each artist’s design proposal and approach to the project. Mural content should not contain political or religious themes and should not include business names or logos that would represent advertising. All artists or artist teams from Spring Lake High School are encouraged to apply. If artists are applying as a Team, the Team should be listed on the application form, specifying a Team leader to receive notifications.
The goal of our murals has not only been to beautify our public spaces, share a message and provide public art to the community, but also to capitalize on the value of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED). Studies indicate that murals would add a level of “natural surveillance.” By adding people and eyes to the design, whether impressionistically or realistically, safety levels have been shown to improve at an even greater rate by creating the illusion that the area is being watched. We are making a special request for this mural that there be at least one face with eyes represented in the mural.
Selection Criteria – Artists will be selected based on the following:
• Aesthetic Excellence – the aesthetic quality of the artwork upholds the principles of art and design excellence, originality, and innovation
• Artist Experience in creating public art of similar scope and scale
• Relevance/Theme – Design must be appropriate for the site and contextually clear and legible when enlarged to the final scale dimensions of the site location as well as translatable to the final media.
Notifications of Selection will be sent via email on Monday, May 18, 2020
Project Time Line:
1. Deadline to Submit Application: Monday, April 20, 2020 at 11:59 pm
2. Notifications sent to Artists: Monday, May 18, 2020
3. Anticipated Execution of Minor Design Review: Friday, May 29, 2020
4. Time Line for Selected Artist(s) to Start and Execute Project: Monday, June 1, 2020
through Friday, Sept. 4, 2020
Application Requirements: All artists must fill out the online application form before the deadline on April 20, 2020 to be considered.
Call to Artist deadline to apply: Monday, April 20th, 2020 at 11:59 pm
Additional Information: For questions about the Art in the Park project and application process please contact Angela Stanford-Butler, Village of Spring Lake DDA Director: angela@ springlakevillage.org.
Visual Support Materials for 116 S. Jackson St., Spring Lake, MI:
Before this wall becomes a canvas, the Seven Steps Up sign will be removed, the wall will be power-washed and a primer will be applied. From there the painting can begin.
