request for qualifications: encinitas skate park mural
Know before you apply
- Muralists based in Southern California
- Artists experienced with large-scale public works
- Artists connected to skate culture
- Must be from seven Southern California counties
- $30,000 total project budget
- Qualifications-based submission, not final design
The City of Encinitas, in collaboration with the Encinitas Friends of the Arts, is inviting mural artists from Southern California to submit their qualifications for a large-scale mural for the Encinitas Skate Park.
Mural Project Details:
This mural will exist within one of the most culturally significant public skate spaces in the region. The Encinitas Skate Park is not simply a recreational facility; it is part of the identity and history of skateboarding in Encinitas and Southern California. The mural should recognize that significance while contributing to the atmosphere and experience of the space today.
The mural will become part of the visual identity of countless skate photos and videos. It will function not only as public art, but as a living backdrop to movement, performance, documentation, and community memory.
The mural should contribute to the feeling of a public skatepark that is open, family-friendly, creative, and community-oriented, rather than hostile, exclusionary, or overly aggressive in tone. Community feedback emphasized that skateboarding itself is collaborative. Every session involves shared space, mutual observation, influence, and collective energy. The mural should resonate with that spirit of shared culture and participation.
The mural should avoid being overly literal or touristy. The goal would be an artwork with enough depth, energy, and visual strength to remain compelling over time. The mural should reflect the layered and collective nature of skate culture itself. The mural should create a sense of excitement and visual presence within the bowl area while remaining sophisticated enough to hold long-term relevance.
The overall goal of the mural is to create a mural that strengthens the identity of the Encinitas Skate Park, reflects the culture and history of skating in Encinitas, enhances the lived experience of the skatepark, inspires skaters across generations and creates a memorable and recognizable visual backdrop tied specifically to Encinitas. The final work should feel as though it belongs uniquely to the Encinitas Skate Park or to “Poods” and could not be transplanted elsewhere without losing meaning.