Welcome, Carbondale!

Welcome, Carbondale! is a special initiative of the Southern Illinois Mural Project, a program of Artspace 304 in collaboration with the City of Carbondale, SIUC, Artspace 304, local businesses, and private donors.

2024 Welcome, Carbondale! 

Aplications Due Friday, April 5 at 11:59pm

The City of Carbondale and Artspace 304 are investing funds this spring in Welcome, Carbondale! to create 2 public murals. We seek visionary artists to create large-scale murals that greet visitors and embrace our residents. This special initiative of the Southern Illinois Mural Project, is a program of the Arts & Entertainment District Committee in collaboration with the City of Carbondale, Artspace 304, local businesses, and private donors.

 

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Artists must live in Illinois or be a graduate of SIU-Carbondale

  • Artist teams may be from other areas as long as the team leader lives in Illinois or is a graduate of SIU-Carbondale

  • Artists or artist teams must be able to demonstrate their capacity to complete large scale art projects

  • Artists who receive a Welcome, Carbondale! commission will not be considered for another Welcome, Carbondale! commission in the same calendar year

TIMELINE

  • March 15  – Call for Artists

  • April 5 – Application deadline – qualifications and design

  • April 6 – 12 – Submitted designs considered by building owners

  • Week of April 15 – Selected muralists notified

  • By April 30 – Installation of murals begins

  • May 15 – Murals are completed 

Note: References to specific businesses or products should be avoided in proposed artwork, as they could be construed as advertisements as prescribed by the City of Carbondale Code. Building owners will make the final choice of a mural for their site.

BUDGET

The budget for each mural ranges from $5,000-$15,000, depending on the proposed design and size of the location selected. Budgets should include costs for artist fees, materials, insurance certificate, and preparation/installation (e.g., the cost of initial wall cleaning, as well as renting scaffolding and/or lifts for the duration of installation, if needed). Payments will be split in two, with half the agreed upon price paid at the commencement of the mural and half paid upon completion.

APPLY

To have your mural design considered, complete the following questions and upload the required documentation no later than midnight, April 5, 2024

Questions? Email info@artspace304.org or call 618-457-5100.

204 Beauty: 204 West College St

Mural is for 2 adjacent walls, 25′(south facing wall) and 16′ (east facing wall). Note: electric sign will stay and be repaired after mural is up

Artistic Mind Tattoos: 520 S Illinois Ave

(future location of Lost Forest Cafe & Pub)

South facing wall is up to 90 feet long, Indicate how much of the wall your mural will occupy and where on the wall it will be placed (Artistic Mind Tattoos sign will be removed)

Visit the RFP for more details, including mural theme suggestions and required submission materials. For any questions please email cdeane@artspace304.org or call 618-457-5100

2023 Mural Sites

Notcho Fries

903 S Illinois Ave

Artist: Antonio Martinez

Shawnee Labyrinth was inspired and informed by common nocturnal animals in the region, with emphasis upon the deer and luna moth. The labyrinth composition is a reference to the existing labyrinth maze located opposite of this wall.  Instead of encountering a Minotaur at the center of the labyrinth, a mystical deer, with the iconic Native American symbol for “The Great Spirit” for its eye, stands watch in the Shawnee night wilderness.  Behind this Great Spirit deer is a simple galactic cluster of stars and two eclipses which reference the 2017 and 2024 eclipse. 

Eurma Hayes Center

441 E Willow St

Artist: Maddie Dieters

Mural artist Maddie Dieters created the mural at the Eurma Hayes Center as a stunning portrait and homage to its founder, Eurma Hayes. Maddie Dieters (Marion, IL) has completed numerous murals in the Southern Illinois area. She creates public art in hopes of empowering people to appreciate and participate in creating art.

Wallace Building

317 E Main St

Artist: Christine DeShazo

The Woodlawn Cemetery Mural at 317 E. Main was conceived by artist Christine DeShazo, in honor of Carbondale’s history and as a tribute to influential figures of the city’s past. The mural incorporates three historical portraits: Daniel Brush, the founder of Carbondale, and General John A. Logan, who helped make Memorial Day a national holiday. The third portrait is of Calvin Scott, a
much-loved local, playing his adored bugle. Christine DeShazo of Spectrum Graphics (Murphysboro, IL) has completed numerous murals in the Southern Illinois area. Her large, intricate murals often engage a crew of talented muralists who call themselves the Wall Dogs.

Slabz Skatepark 

609 S Illinois Ave

Artist: Antonio Martinez

Antonio Martinez’ vibrant Owl Mural on the Southeast corner of Slabz Skatepark at 609 S. Illinois depicts an atomic/celestial landscape. Asked about his imagery, Antonio Martinez explains: “The mural was inspired by my memory of the sky during the 2017 total solar eclipse, the legacy of the Bucky Dome, the natural environment, and the Owl. For me, the Owl symbolizes wisdom gained through hardship, with the guidance of creativity, social awareness, and intuition. Six orbs rotate around an ellipse: numerically, six is a nod to the atomic number of Carbon on the periodic table and a wink to Carbondale’s namesake.  This Owl/Eclipse idea represents a rejuvenation/rebirth for Carbondale, gained through creativity and ingenuity, which Buckminster Fuller embodied in his teachings. Other important cultural influences include the spiritualist paintings of Hilma af Klint and the Azteca/Meshica philosophy of “total.”

2022 Mural Sites

SI PAWN

217 W Walnut St

 Artist: Candace Lyon

Candace Lyon’s mural on SI Pawn’s west facing wall is themed “Now and Then”. The mural depicts the passage of time using the trains that would frequently travel through the area over the years, whether supplying coal, grains or traveling passengers. Candace Lyon is a Southern Illinois-based artist and has completed murals in Hanndibal, MO, Camp Verde, AZ, West Frankfort, IL and Makanda, IL.

About the Southern IL Mural Project

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS MURAL PROJECT

Our regional involvement includes work with the Southern Illinois Mural Project, with the goal of engaging local artists to showcase the history of our region via large-scale visual storytelling. By funding regional community arts organizations as well as the work of individual artists, the Southern Illinois Mural Project hopes to empower underserved communities and to cultivate public art throughout the region. Through the Southern Illinois Mural Project, we have placed six murals in Carbondale, Herrin, Marion, and Murphysboro. 

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