mural proposal for the maris
The Maris team invites professional mural artists to submit proposals for a site-specific installation at The Maris, a residential development currently under construction in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
This project presents a unique opportunity to create artwork that exists at the intersection of private space and public experience. While the murals will be installed on a privately owned residential building, they will be highly visible from surrounding properties and the future North Mill Pond Trail and Greenway, allowing the work to function as a shared visual asset for the broader community.
Project Overview
The selected artist or artist team will design and install a series of murals across five exterior fiber cement panel surfaces:
(4) panels measuring 9’ x 6’6”
(1) panel measuring 9’ x 10’
These panels are integrated into the building’s exterior façade and will be visible to neighboring properties and the public realm.
The Maris is a high-end residential property with a refined architectural identity. Artists are encouraged to develop work that is visually compelling, materially thoughtful, and appropriate to the building’s contemporary design context.
Important: Proposed designs must be non-text-based. No words, letters, or typographic elements should be included in the artwork.
Site Context & Artistic Direction
The Maris occupies a distinctive location within Portsmouth, offering:
Views of the Piscataqua River
Overlooks of the North Mill Pond
Proximity to historic downtown architecture
Future adjacency to the North Mill Pond Trail and Greenway
Artists are encouraged to consider these layered contexts—natural, historical, and urban—when developing proposals. While there is no prescribed theme, strong submissions will thoughtfully engage with ideas of place, light, movement, water, and environment, whether representational or abstract.
Given its visibility and setting, the mural series should function as a community-facing visual experience—a work that contributes positively to the shared landscape while maintaining a level of sophistication appropriate to its architectural setting.