May 4 Submission Deadline

Local and regional artists are now invited to apply for a new public art project to be displayed in the newly renovated Black Wall Street Gardens in downtown Durham.

The City of Durham Office of Economic and Workforce Development, in collaboration with the City’s General Services Department and the Durham Cultural Advisory Board’s Public Art Committee, invite qualified North Carolina artists or artist teams to submit qualifications to design, fabricate, and install public art in the newly renovated Black Wall Street Gardens, which is a greenspace located at 102 W. Main Street.

The plaza is now undergoing lighting, landscaping, and walkway improvements to further enhance the greenspace as a pedestrian-friendly social gathering space. Two walkways will traverse the greenspace, converging in the center to form a larger, paved center area. This center provides a space for moveable seating, table, and the site for the permanent art installation. Candidates are expected to create a work of art inspired by one or all of the following themes: inclusivity, diversity, community, activism, creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and progress.

Application materials include: statement of interest, annotated samples of previous work relevant to project, project personnel resume(s), and references. The deadline for submission is May 4, 2018, and North Carolina residents over the age of 18 are eligible to submit to the call for art.

To further help artists connect with opportunities, the City has created a Durham Calls for Artists webpage, which lists upcoming opportunities for artists in and around Durham. Artists and other stakeholders who would like to be notified of current and future art-related opportunities and news can also sign up for alerts through the Cultural and Public Art mailing list.

For more information about the City’s Public Art Program, visit the public art webpage or contact Senior Economic Development Coordinator Brian Smith with the City’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development at (919) 560-4965, ext. 15205 or [email protected].