elevating history: a mural series

RFQ: Elevating History: A Mural Series from the Living Oral History Project in Ann Arbor, MI

The Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority (DDA), through its Elevate public art program, is partnering with the Ann Arbor District Library (AADL) and the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County (AACHM) to commission three murals along Ann Street. These murals will honor the area's history as a vibrant center for Ann Arbor’s Black community, businesses, families, and civic leaders. The murals will be located on three prominent downtown sites and aim to restore visibility to a vital history that remains unknown to many today. Artists will draw inspiration from the Living Oral History Project and digital archives, translating this significant history into a compelling mural reflecting one of three site-specific themes:

1. Black-owned businesses and commercial street scenes
2. Residential and community life, incorporating a map
3. Civic leadership and the Fair Housing Ordinance

PROJECT AND SITE BACKGROUND

Beginning in 2013, the AADL and AACHM partnered to create the Living Oral History Project (LOH), a growing collection of interviews that document what local African Americans witnessed, experienced, and contributed to, building the community in Ann Arbor we share today. The associated LOH Digital Collection extends the archive with over 3,000 historical photographs and news articles from AADL’s Community Collections about major topics featured in the interviews, including Community Centers, Education, Housing, Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Faith. The LOH Walking Tour offers an on-the-ground experience guiding participants through neighborhood locations connected to the stories and archives.

Inspired by the Living Oral History Project and Digital Collection, the DDA joined the partnership for this special public art project to support and visually illuminate the history back into the neighborhood where it originated. These murals will serve as a companion to the LOH Walking Tour, educating the public and visitors about the neighborhood’s influential past. Installed at key sites, the murals aim to reestablish a sense of presence and place within the urban landscape.

As early as the late nineteenth century, Black business owners began operating barber shops on East Ann Street and North Fourth Avenue, and the area grew into a flourishing site for Black businesses. Ann Arbor’s Black population grew from 4.1% in 1940 to 6.7% in 1970, but the city’s neighborhoods remained racially segregated well into the 1960s. Most Black families lived in the area north of downtown, stretching from Kingsley Street to the Huron River and west to Brooks Street. Former residents remember it as a tight-knit community anchored by Jones School, the Dunbar Community Center, and two historically Black churches.

The area where the murals will be installed now includes Community High School (formerly Jones School prior to its closing during desegregation), the Ann Arbor Farmers Market, and many small and unique businesses. It remains a walkable and vibrant district that hosts numerous community events, including the annual African American Downtown Festival. A new housing development and community creative center on Catherine St, Dunbar Towers, just one block down from Ann Street, will be complete in 2026. Inspired by the original Dunbar Center, this development will also promote the history of the area and Ann Arbor’s Black community.

Project 1:

Theme: Black-owned businesses and commercial street scenes

Site: The east facing facade of the Ann & Ashley Parking Structure (220 N Ashley St)

• The artwork will be directly painted on the three or four horizontal levels. The selection committee asks that the artist or artist team consider painting at least half of the facade. However, the whole facade is available for the artist to use as they see fit to their design and budget, including the lower brick level and vertical columns. The most visible part of the facade from Ann St is directly above the street.

Project 2:

Theme: Residential and community life, incorporating a map

Site: The west facing facade of the Ann Arbor Fire Department (111 N 5th Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48104). This site is adjacent to Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum entrance and will be seen by many families and children.

• The artist or artist team must paint the mural on an approved substrate, such as Aluminium Composite Material, and install it on the facade. The artist can not paint directly onto the brick. The artist should be familiar with working and installing substrate panels and will be required to provide stamped engineer drawings from an MI licensed engineer for safe installation.
• The selection committee would like to see the artist to incorporate about 400 square feet into their design at minimum, but the artist can use as much as the facade as they see fit to their design and budget.
• The artwork can not cover the vents or windows
• The artwork can be painted on rectangular panels and/or custom cut to any shape.
• The mounted work can be designed as one unit or spread out as separate elements on the facade.

Project 3:

Theme: Civic leadership and the Fair Housing Ordinance

Site: The red and/or grey brick west-facing facade of Ann Arbor City Hall (301 E. Huron St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104) at the intersection of 5th St and Ann Street.

• The artist or artist team must paint the mural on an approved substrate, such as Aluminium Composite Material, and install it on the facade. The artist can not paint directly onto the brick. The artist should be familiar with working and installing substrate panels and will be required to provide stamped engineer drawings from an MI licensed engineer for safe installation.
• The selection committee requires the artist to incorporate about 500 square feet into their design at minimum, but the artist can use as much as the facade as they see fit to their design and budget.
• The artwork, or key aspects of the artwork, should sit above the treeline to be visible all seasons.
• The artwork can not cover the vents, windows, or existing infrastructure.
• The artwork can be painted on rectangular panels and/or custom cut to any shape.
• The mounted work can be designed as one unit or spread out as separate elements on the facade.

Other Design Guidelines and Considerations

• Designs may include limited letters, numbers, or words but should not be the sole focus of the artwork.
• Designs may not include any logos, trademarked materials, commercial imagery, or any sort of advertising.
• Designs may not be religious or political in nature, or contain imagery that is considered sacred by any peoples.
• Designs must be original artwork. Use of AI-generated images and design is not permitted.
• Use of specific images or images of people will be discussed with the semi-finalists.

Timeline

All dates except the submission deadline are approximate, subject to change, and are presented for guidance only.

• Semi-finalists Selected: Feb 2026
• Semi-finalists Proposals: Artists will be given 6 weeks to develop proposal(s) after notification.
• Finalist Awarded: April 2026.
• Project Completion and Installation: Ann Street will be under construction Summer and Fall of 2026, starting near the parking garage (Project 1) and moving sequentially towards City Hall (Project 2 and 3). The DDA would like to install the murals after construction of each street section is complete.

1. Project 1: Installation expected September 2026, dependent on the completed section of Ann Street construction. Installation may move to Spring 2027
2. Project 2: Fabrication to be complete in 2026 and installed early 2027 after Ann St construction is complete
3. Project 3: Fabrication to be complete in 2026 and installed early 2027 after Ann St construction is complete