mural projects in the downtown san rafael arts district
The City of San Rafael invites artists and artist teams to apply for multiple mural projects located in the city’s Arts District. Downtown San Rafael has been designated one of 14 California Cultural Arts Districts by the California Arts Council (CAC). The city’s goal is to enhance the aesthetic and vibrancy of its public spaces by incorporating a diverse and engaging body of public art.
The City is seeking to commission new permanent mural artworks on public property at 3 key locations. Depending on the location of each mural site, some areas may require hand-painting onsite while others may be considered for offsite preparation, for example - mosaic, tile, or polytab material. The artwork should add a fresh contemporary aesthetic to complement the City’s existing public art portfolio.
Looking for varied artistic styles and themes. The goal is to create a contemporary body of public artwork that is diverse and well-executed. Drawing inspiration from San Rafael and the surrounding region is ideal, even if abstracted. We encourage styles and themes of subject matter not already heavily portrayed in the current public art collection of San Rafael.
The artworks commissioned will:
- Be of high artistic quality in terms of originality of concept and artistic vision
- Work with the location setting, architectural design elements, and be appropriate in scale, media, and context
- Contribute to San Rafael's appeal as the arts and culture epicenter of Marin County
- Be made with high quality materials that can be maintained over time
- The artwork installation can reasonably be accomplished in under 21 days
Finalist artists will only be selected for one location.
TIMING
- Selection of Finalists: August 2025
- Artist Finalists Notified: August 2025
- First Draft of Mural Design Concepts Due: September 2025
- Final Draft Design Proposal Due: October 2025
- Public Review & Comment: October 2025
- Artist Selected and Awarded Project: End of Oct/Early Nov 2025
- February 2026Final Prep For Artwork Installation: Mar/Apr 2026
- Installation of Artwork: Apr/May/Jun 2026:
- Artwork Installation Complete: June 2026