Are you an artist or team interested in creating murals in Portage County, Wisconsin inspired by a diverse group of historically significant women that commemorate the centennial of the 19th Amendment?

Arts Midwest and CREATE Portage County are seeking artists for a new mural project that commemorates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which began a decades-long movement to secure women’s right to vote. Over the course of 2021, eight murals will be installed across Portage County, Wisconsin that celebrate this centennial anniversary, inspired by the words of women from historically marginalized communities. Honoring the best goals of the 19th Amendment, this project will inspire positive impact by elevating more voices and representing more identities in community art in the Midwest.

This project is part of a national partnership with the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission was created by Congress to coordinate a nationwide commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, ensuring that Americans across the country find inspiration in this important milestone. As one of six U.S. Regional Arts Organizations, Arts Midwest received funding to support the creation of a mural commemorating this anniversary within its nine-state region.

“We are so excited to be selected for this partnership,” said Greg Wright, Executive Director of CREATE Portage County. “We believe public art has an expansive capacity for shifting culture. This project specifically will help us communicate that small places can be creative, inclusive, inspiring, and vibrant.”

 

How to Apply

 

Deadline:

Applications are due February 25th, 2021.

About This Project:

  • This project is part of CREATE Portage County’s Paint the County initiative, a New-Deal-style investment that hires artists impacted by COVID-19.
  • There are eight project sites available, which can be viewed on the Paint the County website.
  • CREATE Portage County has generally allocated $5,000 per mural site.
  • Artists, designers, studios, and teams of artists (especially those from identity groups historically underrepresented in Portage County public art) are encouraged to apply and may submit multiple concepts for this project.

Learn More

Application Process

Artists and teams will apply through an online form available here.

Prior to applying, applicants should prepare:

  • images of your concept (preferably depicted on the space)
  • an explanation of the concept and its goals
  • a budget, budget narrative, and timeline for the completed work
  • 5 – 10 images of past work or completed installations, and
  • 2 to 3 references who can speak to the quality and timeliness of your work.

While anyone is eligible to apply, CREATE Portage County does offer special encouragement to artists financially impacted by COVID-19, artists from identity groups that are underrepresented in our public spaces, and/or artists with personal connections to our community. Please share such information in your application.

Review Process:

Submissions will be reviewed by a selection committee that may choose to set up interviews with finalists. This program is committed to finding the right art, artist, and message to activate unique places in this moment. Selected artists will be announced in March with painting to take place May through October.

Have Questions?

Contact info@createportagecounty.org using the subject: Paint the County!

 


Arts Midwest believes that creativity has the power to inspire and unite humanity. Based in Minneapolis, Arts Midwest grows, gathers, and invests in creative organizations and communities throughout the nine-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. One of six nonprofit United States regional arts organizations, Arts Midwest’s history spans more than 30 years. For more information, visit artsmidwest.org.

CREATE Portage County has become a leading voice in the field of small-city, people-centered community and economic development. Established in 2004 as an arts advocacy organization, CREATE learned quickly how to leverage creativity and culture to attract and support people with big ideas, launching an innovation center to grow those big ideas and to accelerate creative ventures in the arts, business, and community impact. CREATE now works at the overlaps of creative placemaking, social justice, and creative ecosystem building. We are helping communities activate people, places, and possibilities that improve the quality of life and strengthen the local economy.

The Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission was created by Congress to coordinate the nationwide commemoration during the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which was officially signed into the U.S. Constitution on Aug. 26, 1920. The amendment prohibits the United States or any state from denying the right to vote based on sex, protecting women’s access to the ballot in the Constitution. Led by a bipartisan group of 14 women leaders, the WSCC has a nonpartisan mission to ensure that Americans across the country find inspiration in this important but often overlooked history. Learn more about the WSCC and its initiatives at womensvote100.org.

Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support give Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. Visit arts.gov to learn more.