Carl Perkins Civic Center Murals Commission, Jackson, Tennessee

About this call

Our Jackson Home, in partnership with the City of Jackson, seeks artists or artist teams based in West Tennessee to design and create eight mural panels at the entrance of the Carl Perkins Civic Center, 400 S. Highland Ave, Jackson, Tennessee. The murals are painted on prepared 7 ft. x 10 ft. metal panels, permanently installed in lit sections with four on each side of the entrance; the eight designs should work on their own and as one installation with a cohesive palette, reflecting the history and current use of the building, built in 1973, as a place for recreation, community gathering, entertainment and civic activity. The budget of $17,000 to $21,000 covers design and labor fees, administration and documentation, materials, general liability insurance, equipment rental, transportation and lodging; panels and their installation are provided separately. Three finalists are chosen on December 4 and each receives a $300 honorarium for a preliminary concept for all eight panels, a written design concept and a budget, followed by interviews; the artist is chosen January 29 and installation is in May and June 2027.

Who can apply

• Limited by country or region
• Medium: Painting
• Entry fee: See official site
• Open to professional individual artists or artist teams based in West Tennessee, aged 18 or older. A professional artist is one who earns part of their income from making visual art and can show expertise through experience, education or past work; applicants must show through past work that they can complete a project of this scope (experience in public art, murals, large-scale or exterior painting, site-specific or commissioned work is ideal). Murals must use durable, high quality exterior paints suitable for permanent outdoor art on metal, and the selected artist must carry general liability insurance while working on site. Costs beyond the approved budget are the artist's responsibility. An artist or team may be awarded only one City of Jackson Public Art Commission project per fiscal year. Apply through Our Jackson Home's online form with a resume or CV, 2 to 3 professional references with phone numbers and emails, a cover letter, and 1 to 10 images of past projects with information about each, in one portfolio document or a website link. Optional Q&A sessions are held on November 5 (virtual at 12:00 p.m., in person at theCO at 5:00 p.m.). Finalists submit their concepts by January 14 and are interviewed the week of January 25; installation and reveal are in May and June 2027.