Request for Portfolios
The BUMP Festival is an award-winning project transforming Calgary, into an expansive open-air contemporary art gallery. Started as the Beltline Urban Murals Project in 2017, the community-led initiative has expanded to become a Calgary-wide annual street art festival creating accessible public art, growing the capacity of Calgary’s visual arts community, fostering community connection, and amplifying a diversity of voices through the arts.
Public art has an important role to play in building community, promoting dialogue, and enriching our cultural landscape.
Since its inception in 2017, BUMP has:
- Commissioned 100+ murals celebrating a diversity of local, national, and international artists.
- Awarded the 2019 Mayor’s Urban Design Award for Community Initiative.
- Gathered thousands of attendees at the annual BUMP Festival.
- Led guided mural tours for thousands of residents and visitors to the city.
- Showcased outdoor film and live music performances as part of a celebration of community and the visual arts.
Details on past years’ murals can be found at yycbump.ca
In the spirit of respect, reciprocity and truth, BUMP honours and acknowledges the land of Moh’kins’tsis. We honour and acknowledge the Treaty 7 territory and oral practices of the Blackfoot confederacy (including the Siksika, Kainai, Piikani First Nations), as well as the Îyâxe (Stoney) Nakoda (including the Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Wesley First Nations), and Tsuut’ina First Nation.
We acknowledge that this territory is home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3 within the historical Northwest Métis homeland. Finally, we acknowledge all nations—Indigenous and non—who live, work and play on this land, and who honour and celebrate this territory.
Intent
The Beltline Urban Murals Project (BUMP) is now accepting submissions for our 2022 festival. The submission process is intended to solicit portfolios and qualifications for artists who will be chosen for the project. We are seeking artists, and muralists with varied experience who can execute projects large and small, and who want to contribute to the betterment of the community through art. We value creativity, diversity and talent in our artists. We are an inclusive project intended to be enjoyed by all classes, genders, cultures, ages and abilities. It is important to us and the City of Calgary that we create a safe and equitable space for our cultural diversity to be celebrated and represented through visual art.
BUMP celebrates the diversity and talent of all artists and invites folks from BIPOC, Indigenous, LGBTQIAS+, differently-abled communities to apply.
Artist Requirements
The following are required to paint for BUMP:
- Artists must be available to start and finish their mural painting over a 10 day period during the month of August 2022.
- Artists from outside of Calgary, Alberta must make their own travel and accommodation arrangements for the painting period (artist fees will reflect the additional travel expenses).
- Artists will provide their own paint and painting supplies. Artists ordering paint from outside of Calgary must consider shipping time before the painting period begins. The BUMP team is happy to help direct out-of-town artists to local paint suppliers.
- Artists must be comfortable with using aerial elevation equipment, depending on their paired wall (scissor or boom lifts, scaffolding, ladders).
- Artists will be working outside for the duration of the painting period and must bring/source all needed supplies and gear to work in any weather condition.
- Artists must purchase general liability insurance for the entirety of their painting period. Assistance purchasing insurance is available.
BUMP welcomes applicants new to murals and will provide mentors and assistance to support learning and skill development for artists.
Submission Content
Format: Each respondent should submit their portfolio with the required materials via the Artist Applicant Portal.
Portfolio Requirements: Length: Maximum five 8.5 x 11 pages
Size: 10 MB maximum
File Type: Submissions should be in a single PDF file. Please use the following tool to convert the file type to PDF (free online PDF converter doctopdf.com)
File Name: Portfolios should clearly indicate your name. Please use the title format for your file NAME – BUMP 2022.pdf.
Application Deadline: February 28, 2022 at 6:00pm MT
Each respondent is solely responsible for ensuring that their response is received at BUMP before the specified closing. Late submissions may not be considered.
Artist Details:
- Provide your legal name(s), preferred name(s), email, phone number, and address (including current residing country/province).
- Please include pronouns and how you identify (ie: Indigenous, person of colour, LGBTQIAS+, differently abled etc, including as much detail as you are willing to share).
- Optional: provide the artists’ website, social media (i.e. Instagram) information.
Artistic Practice (one page maximum):
- A written description of your artistic practice with details on your artistic process, styles, influences, subject matter, chosen mediums and any focus outside of muralism.
- A written description of your experience with murals, both interior and exterior if applicable. Provide a description of the timelines and sizes of the murals you have painted, referencing images in your portfolio. Alternatively, describe your experience with other forms of painting or art if you are newer to muralism.
Portfolio (three pages maximum):
- Provide up to 18 images (six per page) of previous works. Preference is for murals, however other painting/art work and graffiti art is encouraged.
- The portfolio should approximately reflect the style of murals you would install. If any submitted references are created by more than one artist, please clearly indicate your contributions for each piece.
- Optional: You may provide two concepts (one horizontal and one vertical) of a proposed mural. Clearly indicate if an image is a concept or a previous work
Application Assistance
If formatting or technical issues are a barrier to your application, please reach out to paint@beltlineyyc.ca for accommodations.
We are happy to provide assistance where possible for anyone experiencing difficulties with their application. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions related to the submission process or requirements of this project.
Selection Process
A qualified jury will evaluate all responses based on the goals and criteria below.
BUMP’s mission is to showcase a diversity of:
- Artists (identities, gender, ethnicity, etc.).
- Style/media (artworks of all schools, styles, scales, mediums and tastes will be considered).
- Origin (local, national, and international talent).
- Qualifications and experience (established and developing artists, particularly local).
BUMP strives to include a significant number of local artists (Calgary and Alberta) as well as artists from the Indigenous, BIPOC, LGBTQIAS+ and differently-abled communities.
Successful artists will be advised they have been selected for the project by the end of May 2022. Due to the volume of applicants, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
Note: A roster of reserve artists will be created in the event that additional murals are added to the project in 2022, or if selected artists are unable to participate in the festival.
Project Details
Wall Details and Budgets
The locations, details, and budgets for the murals will be provided to successful candidates. Artists will be assigned to walls with consideration of the artist preferences, building owner preferences, artist experience and the jury’s evaluation of location characteristics.
Artists are welcome to work in teams, bring assistants etc provided they are also covered by the artists’ insurance.
In addition to our typical festival projects, we may have opportunities for commissioned projects outside and adjacent to the festival. Please indicate in the Artist Applicant Portal if you would like to be considered for these opportunities and join our artist database.
BUMP 2022 Timeline
- February 1 – 28, 2022: Submissions open
- March/April 2022: Jury deliberations
- May 2022: Successful artists notified
- May 2022: Wall pairings
- May – June 2022: Artists create design concepts
- June/July 2022: BUMP artist lineup announcement
- August 2022: Painting of murals and BUMP Festival
