Murals at Aquila Elementary School

Aquila Elementary’s Parent Teacher Organization, a non-profit organization in St. Louis Park, seeks an enthusiastic mural artist to design and install permanent outdoor murals at Aquila Elementary School’s front entrance. The goal of this mural project is to bring to life the diversity of our school community and ensure all who enter our building feel welcome, represented, and included. The intended audience of the mural is our diverse community as a whole, and most notably our elementary school aged children at Aquila.

About us

Aquila PTO supports a school community that is vibrant in its diversity. Aquila students speak over 20 native languages in their homes and celebrate a myriad of faiths representing every corner of the globe. As of this year, nearly 40% of our students qualify for economic-based assistance programs, and over 15% of our students are differently-abled or neurodivergent. Racially our school is white (43%), Black/African American (28%), Hispanic/Latino (11%), Asian/pacific Islander (5%), American Indian (1%), and two or more races (12%). Students at our school come from a variety of home situations, including single-parent, two-parent, blended family, LGBTQ-led, first-generation American, and transitional/transient homes.

Project description

• The location of the project is Aquila Elementary School, 8500 W 31st Street, St. Louis Park, MN, 55426.
• The five (5) brick wall surfaces highlighted in red are the target of this project
• Wall surfaces most visible to the public (west pillar, east pillar, and west outer wall) should be the priority for coverage.
  • Priority surfaces total ~1,632 square feet.
  • Total wall surfaces are ~3,670 square feet.
• Mural designs that cover at least half of each priority wall surface will be accepted, although we fully encourage designs that cover the majority or entirety of each surface.

Eligibility

• This call is for original mural proposals only.
• Proposals which contain images subject to copyright or images that are stolen or copied from another source will not be considered.
• Art teachers who wish to guide and supervise student artists in this project are encouraged to apply.

Project requirements

• Installation of the mural must be completed by October 31, 2024.
• Artist is responsible for selecting appropriately durable materials for the mural project. A materials budget of up to $1,300 is available.
• Unused or leftover materials are the property of Aquila PTO.
• Artist signature shall be placed in a location that integrates into the artwork, in a space no larger than one square foot.
• Aquila PTO will obtain all rights to the selected artwork and must retain the right to alter or remove the artwork as needed (ie: if damaged or in need of repair).
• Artwork will be featured on Aquila PTO’s web site.
• The City of St. Louis Park has the right to videotape and document the project, and may use the video for playback of same on cable television, internet/intranet channels, or other use by the City’s communications division.

Applicant guidelines

1. Completed applicant form (email to request a copy)
2. An artist statement of up to 1,000 words detailing:
   1. Why the artist is interested in painting the Aquila mural
   1. Previous experience working on public art projects
   1. The artist’s connection to the Aquila or St. Louis Park community
   1. How the artist believes their design concept will meet the project’s goal
3. A high level concept drawing and dimensions of a proposed mural design.
4. At least three (3) sample images of previous mural projects completed by the artist, or three (3) sample images of previous non-mural projects which represent the artist’s style.
   1. Images must be submitted as JPG or PNG files.
   1. Each sample image may include a brief description of the project.
5. Three references of individuals who can attest to your commitment to completing public art projects or possessing equivalent skills.

Artist Selection criteria and process

Artists will be considered based on the following criteria:

• Artistic excellence, innovation, and originality
• Documented potential and experience to complete the project successfully and within the required time frame
• Extra consideration will be given to artists who live or work in St. Louis Park

Awards and funding

The Aquila PTO will, with stakeholders from the community, award the project to an artist that meets the above criteria. The selected artist will be notified by email or phone.Once a final artist is selected and notified, the artist:

• Will submit a more detailed/final drawing of the proposed mural design within 30 days. This design is subject to discussion and collaboration with Aquila PTO representatives and community and district stakeholders.
• Sign a contract with Aquila PTO agreeing to the timeline and body of work within 60 days.
• Installation cannot begin until the final design is approved and contract signed.

The artist stipend for this project is $2,000, payable in two equal parts:

• $1,000 upon signed artist contract with Aquila PTO
• $1,000 upon completion of mural installation; Aquila PTO reserves the right to determine whether the mural is considered complete.