Four, $1,000 stipends offered in April; four in June Artists sought to help dress up railroad retaining walls in 2011
Area artists once again are invited to present their ideas to transform the railroad retaining walls along the Green Line corridor from dull, blank concrete into canvases – and earn $1,000 in the process. The Village of Oak Park is seeking four artists to paint separate murals that promote creative expression and provide an enriching visual experience for residents and visitors alike. The long-range goal of the program, officials say, is to intersperse colorful public art where possible along the entire length of the railroad from Harlem Avenue to Austin Boulevard.
Last year, the community mini mural project was launched with eight murals. The murals are on the railroad embankments at North and South Boulevards/Oak Park Avenue. Two additional murals were installed last fall on North Boulevard, east of Harlem Avenue.
This year, each of the four selected artists will receive $500 for materials prior to beginning the project and another $500 upon completion. The murals will range in size from about six-feet-by-eight feet to six-feet-by-eleven feet.
Artists from throughout the area – not just Oak Park – are invited to participate. The winning concepts will be selected by a panel of judges from the Village of Oak Park’s Public Arts Advisory Commission and the local arts community.
Interested artists must submit an application, available at the Oak Park Area Arts Council’s web site www.oakparkareaartscouncil.org, or office at 123 Madison St. An application also is posted on this web site - just click here. Each application must include a rendering of the proposed design.
Deadline to apply is 5 p.m., Tues., March 8. Selected artists will be notified by Wed., March 23. The goal is to have the murals on the walls by Earth Day, Fri., April 22.
A second call for artist submissions will be issued later this spring. An additional four murals are to be selected and installed by June 5 for A Day in Our Village.
Concepts will be selected on artistic merit, appropriateness for a public way and originality. Paint is the only medium that may be used and should be of a quality to withstand weather conditions for a reasonable amount of time.
Citizens or businesses interested in sponsoring a mini mural are urged to call the Oak Park Area Arts Council at 708.358.5690 or e-mail info@oakparkareaartscouncil.org.
