Pinch District Crosswalks Call to Artists

About this call

The UrbanArt Commission (UAC), in partnership with the City of Memphis and Alcenia's restaurant, seeks an artist to create a crosswalk art enhancement at the intersection of Winchester Avenue and Main Street in the Pinch District of Memphis, Tennessee, United States, near the Renasant Convention Center. The selection committee is interested in crosswalks that celebrate the past, present and future of the Pinch District, use vibrant colours and bold patterns, feature the name "Pinch District", reflect the neighbourhood's history, businesses and institutions, and comply with City of Memphis crosswalk guidelines. The committee reviews portfolios and invites finalists (notified 11 December 2026) to submit site-specific designs; finalist presentations and artist selection are on 12 January 2027, with a completion celebration in October 2027.

Who can apply

• Limited by country or region
• Medium: Painting
• Entry fee: See official site
• Open to any artist living and working within the Memphis metropolitan area. Collaborative work is welcome, but each artist may submit only one proposal per project; artists are encouraged to identify collaboration with experienced crosswalk fabricators before applying. Apply through Submittable (a free account is required) with the application form, a typed letter explaining your interest and general approach (no design proposals at this stage), up to 20 images of past work with title, date, medium, budget and partners, a résumé or CV of no more than 2 pages, and three professional references with phone and email. An information session is held in person and online on 17 November 2026 and recorded; artists who have not completed a public art project before, or a mural at this scale, are strongly encouraged to contact UAC before applying, and meetings with staff are available until one week before the deadline. Applicants who discuss the project with a selection panel member outside scheduled meetings may be disqualified. The selected artist works closely with the selection committee and UAC to execute the crosswalks, which must comply with City of Memphis crosswalk guidelines.