Borough of West Chester: Call For Art

Press release from the Borough of West Chester:

Posted on: April 22, 2021

Call for Artist Submissions

Housing Equity Mural Project

May 1, 2021

Submissions accepted now for the Housing Equity Mural Project, sponsored by the Friends

Association for Care & Protection of Children, a Chester County based non-profit organization.

Friends Association and the West Chester Borough Public Arts Commission (PAC) invite artists

to submit art proposals for a mural to promote housing equity and social justice.

Friends Association and PAC are issuing an open call to invite submissions of original mural art

to be juried and selected, in whole or in part, for the Housing Equity Mural Project.

Background & Theme

To honor its 200th anniversary in 2022, Friends Association will host events and activities to

promote social justice, specifically as it applies to housing equity. Friends Association provides

emergency housing and prevention services to families experiencing or at risk of homelessness

in Chester County. With roots in Quaker tradition, Friends was established when abolitionist

women in Philadelphia partnered with the Black community to provide a nurturing home to

children who had lost their families due to enslavement. Over the last two centuries, the

organization has evolved but has never lost its sense of dignity and respect for each member of

society.

One goal for the 200th anniversary year is to establish a permanent artistic representation of our

belief that housing is a human right and everyone in our community is deserving of a safe, secure

home. While artists’ ideas are welcomed, the mural should capture the ideals that are embodied

at Friends Association including:

• Social Justice – we believe that housing is a human right and as a community we can and

should make ensuring housing for all a priority.

• Family – we keep families together in times of crises and provide services to all families,

regardless of their makeup.

• Dignity and Respect – we believe that every person is entitled to fair and equitable

treatment on all levels; that each person’s life experiences inform their present and that

they deserve the most basic of rights – safe housing – through which to heal from those

experiences.

• Inclusion – we believe that the people closest to the problem are also closest to the

solution and we seek to amplify the voices of communities where we work.

Benefits

The artist whose work is selected will have their artwork displayed on a prominent building in

Downtown West Chester. West Chester is the county seat of Chester County, and home to over

20,000 residents. West Chester has over 600 businesses bringing in thousands of workers every

day. There are 75 restaurants and 60 retailers, as well as dozens of nearby attractions, all of

which make West Chester a premier destination for travelers. The mural artwork may be

featured online, in print, and as merchandise by Friends Association, PAC, and other local

entities.

The artist whose work is selected will receive a $1,000 award. Upon completion of the mural,

the artist will receive compensation in the amount of $9,000.00. The cost of wall preparation,

materials, and equipment will be covered by Friends Association, and these budgets will be

negotiated at a later date. In addition, Friends Association will feature the artist in its publicity.

Continue here to learn more...

This press release was produced by the Borough of West Chester. The views expressed are the author's own.