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You're Invited to Design Decorative Banners
for Atlanta Housing Choice Neighborhoods
Atlanta, GA

BACKGROUND:
 

 

In 2015, Atlanta Housing (AH) and the City of Atlanta received a $30 Million Choice Neighborhoods (CN) Implementation Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This grant was awarded to revitalize the former University Homes public housing site, renamed Scholars Landing, and to support People and Neighborhood improvements in three surrounding neighborhoods:

1) Atlanta University Center

2) Ashview Heights

3) Vine City

 


collectively referred to as the University Choice Neighborhood (UCN).

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Development efforts are well underway in Scholars Landing Atlanta University Center (AUC) neighborhood. Once fully completed in 2024, over 600 high-quality mixed-income housing units will be added to the AUC neighborhood. In addition, the historic Roosevelt Hall Administration building, which is the only remaining structure from former University Homes, will be beautifully restored.

 

Once the restoration is completed, Roosevelt Hall located at 660 Atlanta Student Movement Boulevard, will serve as a vibrant interactive community-serving hub that offers office, retail, and community space. It will also feature an attractive rooftop deck with amazing views of the city; an expansive rear lawn with gardens; and an outdoor kitchen and spaces for outdoor cooking classes, social gatherings, and special events. To add Artistic finishing touches to Roosevelt Hall, Picture That Consultants recently curated an impactful community-themed Art Collection that adorns the facility's interior walls with framed original artwork by local Atlanta artists, WPA art reproductions by Hale Woodruff, Black and White photographs of Civil Rights Icons, and vintage posters of the historic AUC Student Movement.

 

SCHOLARS LANDING BANNER DESIGN COLLECTION:

Phase II of Picture That's curatorial process is currently underway and includes acquiring artwork for the exterior grounds of Scholars Landing in Atlanta University Center (AUC) neighborhood. Our first exterior project sought Metro Atlanta artists to design banners to adorn around Scholars Landing street poles. As a result of our open call, 6 artists were selected as finalists and we look forward to installing their banner designs during Spring 2023.

 

UCN MURAL ART PROJECT:

As the banner design collection is now complete, our second exterior project seeks local artists to design a mural that further enriches UCN and gives residents and visitors a sense of pride. The mural will be installed on a concrete masonry wall in the rear of Roosevelt Hall. See image below.

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The wall dimensions are 8'3.5"h x 25'4"w x 1'd (the front wall is 210 sq.ft.)

 

 

ARTIST ELIGIBILITY:

We are seeking artists who work primarily in two-dimensional media and who show artistic merit demonstrated in a strong portfolio of past work. To be eligible for this opportunity, artists must reside or have primary work locations/headquarters in the Metro Atlanta area (Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dekalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale counties). Artists who are selected as finalists by Atlanta Housing must be interviewed and approved as an Atlanta Housing Vendor.

 

BUDGET:

The all-inclusive budget is $10,000.

The artist awarded the project will be responsible for materials, tools, equipment, transportation, travel costs, and insurance. In addition, the artist is responsible for cleaning and prepping the wall, priming, painting all sides of the mural, and clear coating the mural per OCA specifications. While the entire wall must be painted, a mural design is necessary for the front of the wall only. The remaining sides can be painted with a solid color.

 

MURAL THEMES:

THEME 1: CELEBRATING THE HISTORY OF UNIVERSITY HOMES, ROOSEVELT HALL AND THE ATLANTA UNIVERSITY CENTER

 

University Homes, Roosevelt Hall and the Atlanta University Center played an important role in Atlanta's history toward advancing social and political reform, economic equity, civil liberties, and the civil rights movement. University Homes was the first federally-funded public housing in the nation for African-Americans. Dr. John Hope, the first African-American President of both Morehouse College and Atlanta University in the 1930s, was a champion and driving force in securing local and federal support for the construction of University Homes. Roosevelt Hall was a central community hub offering a space for African Americans to meet, socialize and organize. Today, the Atlanta University Center is home to a prestigious collection of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, including Morehouse College, Spelman College and Clark-Atlanta University. A number of prominent civil rights activists and successful African Americans completed their collegiate studies from these AUC HBCUs. We are pleased to report that these stellar graduation trends continue today.

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THEME 2: AFROCENTRIC ART

 

Afrocentric Art emerged in the 20th century to express and celebrate the African diaspora. Common characteristics of Afrocentric Art include figurative art, earth-toned colors, realistic themes, and African motifs connected to communities and cultures of African descent. Displaying Afrocentric Art in the Atlanta University Center neighborhood visually promotes Black excellence; and this, in turn, enhances the quality of life and cultural pride in the neighborhood.

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Atlanta Music Project Mural, Acrylic paint on concrete, Ashley Dopson

 

 

REQUIRED MATERIALS AND FORMAT:

 

Mural designs can be rendered using a variety of mediums including, but not limited to: oil, acrylic, pen/ink, watercolor, pastel, collage, beadwork, glass, found objects, fabric and digital media. The final mural design must be applied to the wall using paint.

 

While other words can be incorporated, mural designs must include the following 3 Choice Neighborhoods taglines.

 

1. Revitalizing Housing

2. Transforming Neighborhoods

3. Empowering People

 

While other colors can be incorporated, mural designs must include a minimum of 3 colors from the primary color palette reflected below.

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SUBMISSION PROCESS AND DEADLINE:

 

Artists can submit up to two mural designs for each theme (a maximum of 4 designs overall). All designs must be submitted via email in a digital file format. JPG, TIFF or PNG digital file formats are acceptable. The file size for initial submissions should be 1 MB and 300 dpi. Atlanta Housing's Review Committee will evaluate submissions and create a finalist pool. Finalists will receive feedback on design(s) and then be given the opportunity to submit revised final versions to incorporate feedback if necessary. The final design becomes the property of Atlanta Housing. Email your submission along with your bio and resume/CV to opencallforartists@picture-that.com.

 

Format the subject of your EMAIL as follows:

UCN_Mural_LastNameFirstName_MetroAtlantaCountyName

For Example: UCN_Mural_JohnsonMary_DeKalbCounty

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The deadline for submissions is Monday, March 6, 2023, at 11:59 p.m.

Atlanta Housing and its Selection Committee will not consider submissions received after the deadline. There is no fee to enter.

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MURAL DESIGN SCHEDULE:

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CONTACT INFORMATION:

 

Email: Valerie A. Cooper @ fineart@picture-that.com and include "University Choice Mural" as your email subject.

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