Request for Qualifications: 115 Main Street Mural, City of Spruce Grove

Call to Artists: 115 Main Street Mural
City of Spruce Grove Mural Program

1. Public Art Opportunity

The City of Spruce Grove invites Alberta-based artists and artist teams to submit qualifications for the creation of a painted mural at 115 Main Street. This opportunity is part of an ongoing initiative to enhance public spaces and celebrate community through public art.

Earlier this year, the City issued a Call for Walls inviting business and not-for-profits to propose their outdoor public-facing walls to be considered for the Mural Program as potential sites for future murals. The Mural Program aims to beautify the city, promote cultural expression, and create vibrant, engaging spaces for residents and visitors. As part of this initiative, the location at 115 Main Street was selected for the creation of a mural in 2025.

The selected artist will create a painted mural on the 540-sf area identified on the wall. The City will fund the mural and assist with coordinating the logistics for the creation of the mural with the artist and site representative (property owner).

The mural is intended to remain in place for a minimum of 5 years.

Budget: $14,500.00 (+GST if applicable)
Eligibility: Artists and Artist Teams based in Alberta.
Deadline for Submissions: June 8, 2025
Mural Execution: August – September 2025

Click here to view the full call.

2. Eligibility

This Call to Artists is open to professional artists and artist teams residing in Alberta. Preference will be given to artists who have demonstrated experience in mural creation and working collaboratively with project teams.

We encourage applications from artists of all backgrounds and identities.

3. Location

The wall is located at 115 Main Street, Spruce Grove, facing the adjacent parking lot. The highlighted area in the photo shows the proposed mural location.

The selected artist will be required to use a lift and is expected to work collaboratively with the site representative and the adjacent property owner to minimize disruption to the parking lot during the mural’s execution.

4. Budget

The budget for this project is $14,500 (+GST if applicable) including artist fee, materials, mural creation, transportation, equipment rental, insurance, overhead, and travel expenses. The City will not provide additional funds beyond the stated budget. Artists are responsible for managing all aspects of project delivery within this budget. The selected artist will be required to carry general liability insurance policy, with the City of Spruce Grove named as an additional insured.

An anti-graffiti coating, recommended by the City, will be supplied by the property owner. The selected artist will be responsible for its proper application upon completion of the artwork.

5. Selection Process

This is a two-stage selection process.

Stage One:
Artists will submit their qualifications and a letter of interest. A selection committee including representatives from the City of Spruce Grove, the property owner, and art experts will review all eligible applications based on the following criteria:

• Portfolio Strength – 20 points
• Relevance of Experience – 15 points
• Letter of Interest and Approach to Execution – 15 points

The selection panel will recommend up to three artists to be shortlisted. Shortlisted artists will be invited to develop an artwork concept proposal. Due to the number of submissions, only shortlisted artists will be contacted.

Stage Two:
Shortlisted artists will develop a design concept, artwork proposal, budget allocation, execution plan (addressing site logistics and disruption minimization), and an estimated timeline.

The selection committee will review the proposals based on the following criteria and recommend one artist or artist team to be awarded the project. Each shortlisted artist will be paid a $850 honorarium for their concept proposal, upon reception of the complete artwork proposal and invoice by the City.

• Artistic Concept & Design – 20 points
• Relevance to Site & Community – 15 points
• Budget & Timeline – 15 points

The selected artist will enter an agreement with the City of Spruce Grove to create the mural. The City of Spruce Grove, at its sole discretion, may request clarification or request additional information, as deemed necessary to evaluate the submissions. The City of Spruce Grove reserves the right to reject any or all submissions, or any part thereof, or to terminate or re-advertise this Call to Artists.

6. Submission Guidelines

Please submit a single PDF file that includes the following:

Artist Information
Full name, address, phone number, email, and website. (If applying as an artist team, provide this information for each member and identify the Lead Artist.)

Letter of Interest (maximum 500 words)
Outline your artistic experience, your approach to this site and opportunity, and how you would manage the mural logistics to minimize disruption to the adjacent parking lot. (Artwork proposals are not required at this stage, but you may briefly describe any preliminary ideas.)

Artist CV (maximum 2 pages per artist)
Provide a CV highlighting relevant artistic experience. (Each team member should submit an individual CV.)

Portfolio (up to 10 images)
Submit up to 10 images of previous work. For each image, include title, year, medium, dimensions, location, commissioning body, and project budget.

Professional References
Provide the name, role, organization, email, and phone number for two professional references.

Applications must be submitted no later than June 8, 2025, 11:59 pm MDT.

Email submissions to cgibaut@sprucegrove.org with the subject line: 115 Main Street – Mural Project and attach all the required documents and images in a single PDF (max 25 MB).

Please ensure you have provided all the information listed above. Incomplete applications or applications received after June 8, 2025, will not be considered.

7. Questions

If you have questions about the application process, or require assistance with submitting your application, please contact Christian Pérès Gibaut by email at cgibaut@sprucegrove.org or by phone at 587-341-0697.

8. Schedule

Estimated Timeline:
June 3, 2025 – Deadline for questions
June 8, 2025 – Submission deadline
June 15, 2025 – Artists shortlisted
July 15, 2025 – Proposal from shortlisted artists due
July 30, 2025 – Artists selected and contract signed
August/September 2025 – Mural execution

The City reserves the right to adjust the project schedule as needed to accommodate weather or site access conditions.

The City of Spruce Grove
www.sprucegrove.org
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