Urban Indigenous Mural
Date of Issue: June 2, 2021
Closing Date: Extended to June 30, 2021
Closing Time: 6:00pm MT
Oki, Danit’ada, Aba Wathtech, Tawnshi. We recognize this mural takes place on land with a deeply rooted history with the Nations of Treaty 7.
As we organize this project we acknowledge the Blackfoot, Stoney Nakoda, and Tsuut’ina Nations, as well as Métis Region 3, as communities who continue to protect and take care of the land for generations to come. We hope this mural creates a space for us to remember our past, respond to our present, and look towards the future. We thank the Indigenous community for their work and knowledge.
Concept
Supported by The City of Calgary, Calgary Arts Development, artist Katie Green, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and Beltline Urban Murals Project, Pink Flamingo is working to bring four Black Lives Matter-inspired murals to Calgary in the summer of 2021. The intersectional mural series will celebrate Black youth, Black elders, our urban Indigenous citizens, and queer and trans citizens who are Black, Indigenous, and people of colour (QTBIPOC).
This request for qualifications is for our urban Indigenous mural.
The Black Lives Matter Murals Project is a response to the current and historical Black Lives Movement taking place in our city and worldwide. Under the current circumstances of our socio-political climate, it is crucial that we find the capacity to come together to meet, rebuild, and reimagine our present way of relating to one another and to our future. The collective silence and irremediable damage that has been inflicted by systemic racism has gone on for far too long. It is clear that we need to be engaging in ongoing self-reflection, continuing education, relationship building and actual impactful, transformative anti-racism practices.
Public art plays an essential role in influencing culture. It presents the capability to help us question ideologies we’ve been taught and conditioned to accept—including the ideologies that uphold racism. It is imperative that Black, Indigenous, and racialized folks not only see themselves reflected in their city, but that they see themselves organizing and leading within their city. This demonstrates the act of decentering whiteness.
At the centre of this initiative are Black-led organizations, focusing on the importance of BIPOC artists and voices. Now is the time where the stories and expressions of those who have been underrepresented in the past can be celebrated now and into the future.
We are pleased to partner with Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) on this endeavour.
The CPO has provided a new commissioned work by composer Laura Hawley to be performed by its Chorus. Artists are asked to consider the music in their submission, and the ways in which street art and classical music have been kept apart by systemic racism. Email pinkflamingomurals@gmail.com to receive a confidential MP3 file containing the music. THOTNATION will take video footage at each mural site during its creation as part of this project. The intention behind this collaboration is to begin to bridge the gap between two artistic cultures that have historically been separated. By allowing the mural artists to honestly respond to CPO’s commission, we can reflect on where we are at on our journey. This collaboration shows us a genuine representation of what is possible when these two artistic practices are invited to collide.
Intent
Pink Flamingo is now accepting submissions for our 2021 project. The submission process is intended to solicit portfolios and qualifications from artists who will be chosen for the project. We are seeking artists who want to contribute to the betterment of the community through art. We value creativity, diversity and talent in our artists. This is an inclusive project intended to be enjoyed by all classes, genders, cultures, ages, and abilities. It is important to us that we create a safe and equitable space for BIPOC to be celebrated and represented through visual art.
Accessibility
In line with our mission to support underrepresented voices and strive for equity, we are working to support community members who are disabled, Blind, have low vision, are Deaf, hard of hearing, neurodivergent, and/or immunocompromised. To learn more about accessibility options available (including alternative ways to apply) please contact us at: pinkflamingomurals@gmail.com.
Eligibility
This call is open to established and emerging artists, artist collaboratives and photographers. Candidates must be representative of the Indigenous community. No mural painting experience is necessary to apply—we will work with artists of any experience level to achieve their design.
- If you are an individual artist and have a group of people you would like to work with, please state this in your submission.
- If you do not, please state this in your submission and we will help source crew members to help you complete this project.
- If you’re an artist collaborative please submit all names of the artists involved. If you require more crew members please state this in your submission.
- If you are open and available to work on the mural project even if your design is not selected, please state this in your submission.
Selection Process
A qualified jury made up of diverse Calgarians will evaluate all responses. Evaluation criteria for the 2021 project will include the following:
- Pink Flamingo’s mission is to showcase a diversity of:
- Artists (identities, gender, ethnicity, etc.).
- Style/media (artworks of all schools, styles, scales, mediums, and tastes should be considered).
- Origin (local, national, and international talent)
- Qualifications (established and developing artists, particularly local).
- Pink Flamingo strives to include a significant number of local artists (Calgary and Alberta) as well as artists from the BIPOC and LBGTQIA+ communities.
Successful artists will be advised they have been selected for the project within two weeks of the submission deadline, June 23, 2021. All artists will be notified whether or not they are selected for the project.
Project Details
The locations, details, and budgets for the murals will be provided to successful candidates. A minimum $10,000 artist fee will be provided within the finalized project budget.
Black Lives Matter Murals Project 2021 Timeline
June 2, 2021: Submissions open.
June 23 – 30, 2021: Jury deliberations.
Early July 2021: Successful artists notified, wall pairings, design requested.
July/August 2021: Work begins.
September 2021: Work completed.
How to Respond
Please submit the following elements in one PDF document by email and labeled with your name:
- Statement of interest, one page maximum.
- Current CV and/or bio (including age, location, connection to Black, Indigenous, or racialized community), two page maximum.
- Five image examples of your work that give a sense of your skill and approach to this project.
- Indicate your proposed timeline including start and end dates within the production phase of July to September 2021.
- Indicate if you are applying as an individual, an artist team, working with volunteers or require assistance.
- Please indicate if you would like to be added to our crew member and/or volunteer list if your proposal is not selected.
- Optional: A design for the mural (this can be a sketch, a photograph, a digital drawing or a painting).
Submissions and/or questions should be addressed to pinkflamingomurals@gmail.com.
About Pink Flamingo
Pink Flamingo is a Black-led advocacy organization that uplifts the QTBIPOC community in our city by creating events, workshops, education, and safer spaces. Pink Flamingo proudly employs BIPOC visionaries.
Pink Flamingo partnership initiatives have created a vast network of artists and organizers of diverse experience, including an ambassador program that provides access to far-reaching corners of the LGBTQ2SIA+ community. Pink Flamingo is also connected to VOICES, Treaty 7’s coalition of Black, Indigenous, and racialized 2SLGBTQIA+, by representation of leadership on its board. Pink Flamingo has brought events to life and built artist networks with arts groups like Femme Wave, Sled Island, Vogue YYC, Snap Canada, and Umoja Sessions.
Submissions and/or questions should be addressed to pinkflamingomurals@gmail.com.
For more information, visit pinkflamingo.ca.
