MURAL PROJECT RFP
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS | “Hobson Avenue Mural”
Release date: 6/2/2025
Budget: $15,000
Deadline: July 15, 2025
Eligibility: Any artist or team of artists with public art or mural experience may submit a proposal.
Scope of Work: Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance, in partnership with the property owner, is
pleased to extend this invitation and request for proposals for a mural project to be executed at 823 Hobson Avenue, Hot Springs, AR, where it will be seen by hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas, every year. Artists are encouraged to draw inspiration from the many attributes that have consistently made Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas, a unique and popular destination, including nature, hospitality, thermal springs, landmarks, and history. Both abstract and realistic mural concepts will be considered.
The project proposal must contain the following:
● A typed project narrative, which includes the artist statement, contact information, timeline,
and subcontracted artists (if needed). Installation can begin August 15, 2025, with final installation no later than October 1, 2025.
● Scaled drawings, sketches, or other documents as necessary to present a meaningful representation of the concept. Color, content, technique, and any other details should be
conveyed.
● Preliminary itemized budget, such as artist fee, materials, travel-related expenses, insurance, and any other associated costs.
● Resume and up to 10 examples of previously completed work.
● Completed applicant materials should be submitted digitally via email to mzunick@hotsprings.org. Please compile the proposal into a single PDF document. If the file is too large to transmit, the applicant should send an email, and a drive link will be sent to the applicant.
Selection Criteria
● Submittal of all required application materials as outlined in the RFP;
● Attention to context: architectural, historical, geographical, and cultural;
● Proven ability to create distinctive site-specific artwork as exhibited by past work;
● Originality: creativity and uniqueness of the proposed artwork concept for this project;
● Quality and craftsmanship of product as exhibited by past work;
● Maintainability: structural and surface soundness, durability and resistance to vandalism,
weathering, excessive maintenance, and repair costs;
● Appropriateness for placement on an urban pedestrian site and the ability for the artwork to
withstand public interaction where it can be touched;
● Public safety, and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act; and Feasibility:
artist’s proven track record/ability to complete the work on time and within budget.
Mural Location:
The wall is 100 ft x 16 ft. All dimensions provided are approximate. Inspection of the site is suggested or photos are available upon request if inspection is not possible.
Disclaimers
Applicants will be notified of the status of their application. Commissioning of artists and the
pursuit of all mural activities are implemented without preference to racial or ethnic origins, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, disability or age. Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance and other parties associated with the project reserve the right to modify this solicitation and to request additional information from participating artists. Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance and other parties associated with the project reserve the right to accept or reject, at any time prior to the commissioning of a work, any or all proposals when the acceptance, rejection, waiver or advertisement would be in the best interest of the project. In addition, Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance and other parties associated with the project will be responsible for all correspondence and communication by and between applicants and members of selection panels. Discussion regarding these projects by and between any applicant and any member of a selection panel outside of regularly scheduled meetings during the selection process may be grounds for the disqualification of the applicant. Such determination shall be at the discretion of Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance and other parties associated with the project.
The wall image is included below. The owner will remove the existing metal sign frames from the wall prior to the project.
For Immediate Release
June 13, 2022
For More Information Please Contact:
Email: mzunick@hotsprings.org
Phone: (501) 545-6960
In-Person Quarterly Networking Meetings Return to HSACA Programming
(Hot Springs, AR) – The Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance is reinstating in-person quarterly networking meetings for the first time since the Covid-19 shutdowns. The meetings, which offer the arts community an opportunity to gather, network, and discuss upcoming events or opportunities, will recommence at The Warehouse (301 Broadway St.) on Monday, July 11 at 5:30 p.m..
The quarterly networking meeting will take place shortly before the 33rd anniversary of Hot Springs’ Gallery Walk and offer local artists, gallery owners, and community members an opportunity to discuss and prepare for the anniversary celebration; as well as discuss any additional upcoming art-based opportunities and experiences. In addition, HSACA will use the meeting to announce the theme for the 2023 Arts & The Park festival and seek artist and community participation for festival programming.
The meeting is free to attend and open to any member of Hot Springs’ creative economy. The meeting space is being donated by Gefer Simms, owner of The Warehouse and Esther’s Gallery and Gifts, and will take place on Monday, July 11 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Attendees can expect to enjoy light refreshments.
The Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance is a registered non-profit whose mission is to celebrate, advocate, and promote the arts in and around Hot Springs. For more information about HSACA visit www.hotspringsarts.org or email mzunick@hotspring.org.
For Immediate Release
March 8, 2022
For More Information Please Contact:
Email: mzunick@hotsprings.org
Phone: (501) 545-6960
Mike Disfarmer Photography Exhibit and Workshop Coming to H.S. Convention Center
(Hot Springs, AR) – The Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance in collaboration with Visit Hot Springs is sponsoring a Mike Disfarmer photography exhibit in the main concourse of the Hot Springs Convention Center as a part of Arts & The Park, the annual spring arts festival. The exhibit will be free and will open to the public on Friday, April 29th. In addition to the Disfarmer exhibit, Arkansas photographer Don House will lead a workshop for photographers of all levels covering the methods used by Disfarmer.
Mike Disfarmer, a native of Heber Springs, AR, is iconic for his notable and profound use of light to capture the raw intensity of his subjects through studio portraiture. Disfarmer operated a studio in Heber Springs in the 1930s and 40s that became iconic to the area. His work has since received international recognition and come to define an approach for capturing character and personality.
Arkansas portraitist Don House will lead a workshop for photographers of all levels interested in the methods of photographer Mike Disfarmer on Sunday, April 24. The workshop will begin with a group discussion and an analysis of samples of Disfarmer’s images and what makes them visually powerful. House will then demonstrate his own techniques and discuss lighting, film and digital cameras, backdrops, processing, and his philosophical approach to capturing images that are honest in every important meaning of that word. Participants will put the information to use by taking portraits using their own cameras and available light. Images taken by participants will be displayed publicly during the Disfarmer exhibition. Capacity for the workshop is limited, registration opens in mid-March on the HSACA website, www.hotspringsarts.org.
“This exhibition of Mike Disfarmer’s work and the Don House workshop seemed the perfect fit for the 2022 Arts & The Park theme Creative Roots. We are thankful to the Arkansas Department of Heritage and Arkansas Arts Council for their sponsorship of the festival which seeks to encourage artists to draw inspiration from their own individual ancestry or the cultural heritage of our state.” said Visit Hot Springs Cultural Affairs Manager, Mary Zunick.
The exhibit will open on Friday, April 29th at 6 p.m. at the Hot Springs Convention Center with a small opening ceremony co-hosted by Visit Hot Springs and HSACA, and will remain open and free to the public throughout the summer.
The Hot Springs Area Cultural Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating, advocating, and promoting local art and culture. For more information about the organization or the dozens of arts events planned during Arts & The Park, please visit www.hotspringsarts.org or email mzunick@hotsprings.org.