Steve Thurston (2021)
This wall at 144 Glen St. is proposed among many that may become the muralist's canvas.
The Arts District of Glens Falls issued a call for mural artists to propose paintings for several specific walls around the city. Chosen artists will receive grants of $10,000 to $20,000. This is part of the city’s overall plan to develop the arts trail which stretches from the Chapman Historical Museum on Glen Street south and east to the Hyde Collection Art Museum and Historic Home on Warren Street.
"It's very exciting that we have the call to artists out right now,” said Kate Austin-Avon, a member of the Arts District.
The plan is to pick and announce the winning concepts in April, and the artists must have a plan to finish their work by September. The artists will be chosen from a preliminary sketch and resume of their previous work, the application says. Finalists will then be asked to provide a more detailed rendering and design based within the outlined budget proposed.
Not only is the group looking for quality artists who understand the requirements of art appropriate for the cityscape, they are also looking for artists who can make a popular impact.
“One of the things we’re really looking for is a photo-op, like it’s Instagram-able. Those things are attractions. People go just to take their picture in front of big wings on the side of a building,” she said, a reference to artist Kelsey Montague's “What Lifts You” wings on the sides of buildings countrywide.
A marketing and public relations professional in Glens Falls, Austin-Avon has been working with the Arts District since its inception in 2015 when just four arts organizations came together.
"It started off as a small group, promotional concept, like, ‘Let's tell people to come to Glens Falls for all this art’,” she said. From there it quickly grew to the 14 arts businesses and organizations in the city, including galleries, museums and theaters. The district includes an arts walk from one end of downtown to the other with stops along the way for people to visit a venue or see public art.
"We've got about $80,000,” for the project, Austin-Avon said in a recent interview. "We're going to see what the proposals add up to" before determining how much goes to each artist. The funds come from the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative, a grant the city won from New York State in 2017.
The murals are a complement to the public art painted on electrical boxes throughout the city last year.
[For the application information, click here. For more on the Arts District, click here.]