Call for Submissions

Call for Submissions Bellevue College Outdoor Murals Project

Summary 

The Bellevue College Outdoor Murals Committee invites Bellevue College (BC) community members and artists interested in creating large-scale, non-permanent murals depicting themes of BC community diversity, social equity and social justice, ideas essential to the culture and growth of Bellevue College. Artists will be selected by the BC Outdoor Murals Committee a group of BC students, faculty, and staff. Each artwork selected will be displayed in a large-scale wheatpaste mural format at one of several sites along the main student and pedestrian corridor on BC’s main campus. Artists selected will be paid an honorarium and will be part of ongoing rotation of works for one or two years each, with additional artworks selected for future installation.  

Submissions are open to BC community members, including students, alumni, staff, faculty, and emeritus. Designs may be submitted by individuals or groups, such as a class or student affinity group (clubs, or organizations). Preference will be given to submissions by current students and groups including current students. Work may be a collaboration with, or nomination of an outside artist the BC sponsor feels is part of their community and/or whose work is believed to represent their community. For example the submitter may present artwork that reflects the complex racial history or heritage of peoples who have populated Bellevue or the Eastside.

Please note that submitters do not need to be a professional practicing artist, to have an idea worthy of submission. The Committee wishes to encourage anyone who has a concept for a mural to submit a design proposal for consideration.

Submission period December 15, 2021 to March 4, 2022.

Artists may submit artwork and artist statement to the Committee at any time during the open submission period. Submitting your artwork and information does not guarantee consideration for a final commission.

Site location and timeline of installation and length of time of display are subject to the discretion of the Outdoor Murals Committee.  

Artists whose submissions are chosen for display will be contacted by the BC Outdoor Mural Committee. At that time, directions will be supplied for any additional preparation necessary for the artwork to be ready for display and installation, which will be handled by Bellevue College and a private contractor.

Artwork Goals 

The Bellevue College Outdoor Murals Project is a celebration of the Bellevue College community and aims to welcome our diverse student to campus. The artwork display will form a visual representation of our ongoing commitment to affirm and uplift the diverse identities within the BC community themes essential to social justice and racial equity. These murals will encourage diversity in our community by recognizing, welcoming, and encouraging people of any ethnicity, ability, religion, age, nationality, gender, or sexual orientation to participate fully in all aspects of community life.

For more information on BC’s stance on diversity, inclusion, and equity, we have provided links on our FAQ page, for you to explore.

As an example, Bellevue College installed the artwork “Never Again Is Now” by Seattle artist Erin Shigaki in February 2020. The 11-foot tall mural displays BC’s commemoration to the Day of Remembrance, recognizing the anniversary of the World War II imprisonment of Japanese Americans, including the incarceration of 300 individuals from 60 families of the Bellevue community.  

The concepts for this mural project are intentionally defined broadly. Artists may depict a personal history or experiences experiences involving subjects, people, or events that are less known by the pubic, but whose importance has been historically overlooked because of their race, gender, economic status, or social class. These could be immediate or historic events, positive or negative, and may highlight family or community members who paved the way to success or provide ongoing support.

Project Details

Each selected work will be installed in a two-dimensional printed wheatpaste format mural adhered to the exterior walls in one of six site locations along Bellevue College’s main campus corridor. The artist will receive an honorarium and gain recognition and publicity for their artistic display and achievement.

Wheatpaste murals are a form of outdoor installation consisting of works printed onto a foundational paper which is glued to the walls of the chosen sites. This method allows for ease of installation and of removal for ongoing rotation of these temporary works. 

Submissions must be a two-dimensional format viable for enlargement to installation scale (approximately 10ft by 10ft).

Eligibility

Submissions are open to Bellevue College members, including students, alumni, staff, faculty, and emeritus. Submissions may be from an individual or a group, such as a class or student affinity group (clubs, or organizations). In the selection, preference will be given to submissions by current students and groups including current students. Work may be the original design of the BC community members themselves, or may be a collaboration with, or nomination of an outside artist they feel is part of their community and/or whose work is represents their community. 

Instructions for Submission

Use the form on our Submit page to fill in required content and upload files of your design.

An Artist Statement is required for every submission. The artist statement will become part of artwork display, and will be installed beside your mural.

• Name(s) of Submitter(s) (and/or Group if applicable)  
• Contact information   
• Category of BC community affiliation or connection (check boxes, select all which apply)  
• Proposal Headline (one-line statement of what population or story the artwork is meant to represent or speak to)
• Title of artwork submitted   
• Files of work uploaded (For initial submission, two files are allowed per proposal, with a maximum size of 6MB per file. File types accepted are .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .pdf. Raster image files should be 72 ppi resolution, and no larger than 4000 pixels on the longest side.
• Artist statement which will accompany artwork in installed display.    
• Consent to Terms of Submission

See our FAQ page for more information.

See our Resources page for more information about photographing your work and preparing files for submission.

Selection Process

The BC Outdoor Mural Committee will convene for submission review, considering artwork and artist statements, and select artist designs to deliver final artwork design.

The artwork submission portal will remain open throughout the Outdoor Mural Project timeline for applicants to submit. During the current Call for Submissions the Project Committee reserves the option to make no selections, or fewer selections than total number of open sites, from the submission pool and to then reopen or reissue the Call for Submissions. 

Once an artwork has been selected, the following process will be followed: 

1. Applicants will be initially juried and screened by the BC Outdoor Mural Project Committee to ensure artworks submitted are complete and suitable for large format display. 
2. The Committee Reserves the Right to work with a selected artist to refine or finalize the submission, for example, to ensure the clarity of the wording or message.
3. Selected artists or groups will enter into a commissioning agreement with Bellevue College for the installation, display (for one or two years) and image/copyright use of artwork in college communications.
4. Thereafter the artist will retain copyright of the image.
5. An honorarium of $2000 for each selected artwork will be paid to the submitting artist or group for the successful delivery of the artwork ready for installation. Installation itself will be handled by Bellevue College
6. The Artist’s Statement will be come part of the Artwork Display.
7. At all times, the selection process will adhere to Bellevue College’s established principles or equity, diversity and inclusion. (See our FAQ page for more information.)

Selection Criteria

The following criteria will be used by the BC Outdoor Mural Project committee when identifying artworks for display: 

Artistic Quality: Does the artist present a complete idea and design? Does it add to the aesthetic quality of the campus? Does the artwork meet public expectations for a professionally operated state institution? 

Creativity: Does the artwork display innovation, excitement, and interest? This includes style, use of materials or format, and subject matter. Does the artist statement support and expand on these aspects? 

Realization of Theme: Does the artwork convey a recognizable interpretation of the Artwork Goals: To affirm and uplift the diverse identities within the BC community and our commitment to social justice and racial equity? Does the artist statement support these themes?  

Technical Expertise: Is the artwork suitable for display at large scale? Does the art meet all application and submission requirements? 

Budget

Each submission selected for display will be awarded an honorarium of $2000, paid to the submitting artist or group, upon delivery of artwork ready for printing and campus installation. Current vision for the initial run beginning January 2022 is for six pieces, three pieces will hang for one year, three for two years.

Thereafter newly selected murals will rotate on a two-year basis. Please note these timelines and rotation schedule are subject to change at the discretion of the Outdoor Murals Committee. Artists in the selected for the January 2022 slots will be notified of the timeframe of their installation upon selection. Bellevue College, not the artist, will cover the expense of the fabrication and installation of the artwork and subsequent publicity for the project.

Timeline

1. Competition open for artist submission: December 15, 2021 through March 4, 2022.
2. Deadline to submit artwork for consideration: March 4, 2022 by 5pm (PST).
3. Artwork review and selection: March 8 – 22, 2022.
4. Artist notification of selection: March 23, 2022.

**All dates are subject to change at the discretion of the Committee and/or weather conditions.

Application Requirements

During the submittal time period, artist may direct questions to the Outdoor Murals Committee by email at outdoormurals@bellevuecollege.edu

• Submission form at bellevuecollege.edu/outdoormurals/submit must have all required fields fully completed.
• Proposal must include an artist statement to accompany the artwork as part of display for entire installation period, and an artwork title and a submission headline.
• Artists may submit up to three separate proposals for Committee consideration, though only one piece may be selected per artist or submitting group.
• Artwork submission must comply with the submission’s Eligibility Requirements.
• Artwork must be suitable for large scale display.
• Submitter must consent to Terms of Submission

Further Details

Once selected, preparation for display will be coordinated between Bellevue College and the artist, and installation as a wheatpaste mural will be handled by Bellevue College.

Submissions must be in a digital image format, uploaded to submission site. Digital images, of higher quality will later be required for transfer to contractor for printing and installation.

Provided the artist can scan or photograph the work for these purposes, work may originally be made in any format or media, digital or traditional. Works must be viable for enlargement to two-dimensional installation scale (approximately 10ft by 10ft). For this reason, digitally produced and especially vector-based works may be recommended. For non-vector-based works the larger and higher resolution, the better for final processing to installation.

For initial submission, two files are allowed per proposal, with a maximum size of 6MB per file. File types accepted are .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .pdf. Raster image files should be 72 ppi resolution, and no larger than 4000 pixels on the longest side.

Please note, the submission form does not save your incomplete work. If you exit a session, or a page reload before the proposal is fully complete and the Submit button is pressed, any partial progress will be lose. Therefore, in order to not lose any working progress, it is STRONGLY recommended that you prepare your submission as a separate document, and then copy and paste the entries into the form.

Artists may submit up to three proposals for consideration. However, only one submission by any given submitter may be selected in a course of any single Call for Submissions.

Failure to provide adequate information in any required fields may result in a proposal not being considered for selection.

Submission of a proposal does not guarantee consideration or selection.

Contact Information

Outdoor Murals Committee

outdoormurals@bellevuecollege.edu

Last Updated April 16, 2022