EAST LANSING, Mich. — The East Lansing Arts Commission (ELAC) has released a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) from qualified artists for a public mural planned for downtown East Lansing.
The selected artist will create a public mural for the dumpster shroud located in the Bailey Parking Lot, 139 Bailey St., that provides a fun and vibrant backdrop to the public for selfie self-expression opportunities, graduation photos and more. The artist should also keep in mind the City’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and the importance that art plays in defining a sense of place and community as well as the diversity of the East Lansing community.
The available space for the mural is 10’5” tall x 33’6” wide and could wrap around the full shroud (excluding the doors). The mural will be funded using Public Art Fund dollars through the Percent for Art program.
Interested artists have until 5 p.m. (EST) on August 25, 2022 to submit their qualifications. After the initial review of their qualifications, the East Lansing Art Selection Panel will invite three to five artists to submit a full proposal. These artists will be compensated $500 for their proposals, whether their proposal is selected or not. These proposals will be the property of the ELAC for up to one year, allowing the ELAC the option to potentially find other locations for the proposals that are not selected for the Bailey Parking Lot location.
Details of the RFQ, including how to submit qualifications and the selection process, are available at https://www.cityofeastlansing.com/Bids.aspx?BidID=67.
Installation of the Bailey Parking Lot mural is planned for May 2023 and a dedication is scheduled for the end of August 2023. Artists with questions about the public mural project can email hmajano@cityofeastlansing.com.
The City of East Lansing’s Percent for Art ordinance requires that one percent of the budget (up to $25,000) for new development projects be used to fund public art in the community. Developers can choose to propose and commission a public art piece on the site of their development, donate public art to the City or contribute funds to the City’s Public Art Fund. The City also contributes one percent of its capital improvement budget to the Public Art Fund each year.