July 22, 2024 – Business for the Arts of Broward (BFA) in partnership with Broward Heath is offering five South Florida-based emerging muralists the opportunity to work with professional lead artist Lori Pratico in the commission of a highly visible mural at Broward Health Medical Center.
Funding for the mural is provided by The Wayne and Lucretia Weiner Fund of the Community Foundation of Broward and the Cathy and James Donnelly Family Fund at the Community Foundation of Broward and Crown Residential.
All entries must be submitted by midnight on Wednesday, July 31, via Call for Entries (CaFÉ). Applicants are required to fill out the submission form to be considered. Artists must submit eight to 10 images of any previous work and provide a written one-page letter of interest that informs the committee about themselves and their art practice to date and include any themes noticed in their work and the materials used, as well as explaining why they are interested in this opportunity or pursuing a career in creating murals. Business for the Arts of Broward requests applicants to be at least 18 years of age at the time of submission, be based in South Florida and possess reliable transportation to the job site. Artists should have previously completed one to five murals or large artworks.
“This is an incredible opportunity for these artists to be part of a signature mural at Broward Health Medical Center,” said Broward Health President & CEO Shane Strum. “We look forward to sharing their inspiring work with the community as part of the beautification of our downtown medical campus.”
Pratico will design the mural’s overall look and have the final say in its design and execution, and the final design will be pre-approved by Broward Health. Selected artists will have the opportunity to add their style to designated sections of the mural at Pratico’s sole discretion. A professional artist with more than 35 years of experience, Pratico started her arts career in Philadelphia as a billboard painter and has executed over 100 murals in 16 states. Her specialties include community engagement, hand lettering and surface design.
Through this mentorship with Pratico, each of the five selected emerging artists will receive hands-on experience in designing and scaling and working on large scale murals; up to a $5,000 stipend (maximum of 100 painting hours at $50/hr.); $30/day lunch stipend; general liability insurance coverage ($200-$300 value); name included on the mural; appropriate ownership of the project; visibility through a documentary style presentation of the mural creation and process that educates and promotes future artists; team Zoom meetings to review creating a proposal, applying for insurance, best practices, pricing, creating a budget, selecting materials and anti-graffiti coatings; and continued career support available after the completion of this project.
“Mural artists require training and experience to transition from small paintings to large scale work and often struggle with applying for public art commissions and building their portfolio, so we are thrilled to give them this opportunity with such a high profile location,” Business for the Arts Executive Director Robyn Vegas said.
If selected, artists must be able to work outside on site for at least 70 hours and maximum 100 hours painting. Artists will work consecutively for five to seven days per week and anywhere from seven to 7.5 hours per day given weather conditions. Start date TBD.
The program is broken up between two phases:
Phase 1 – Artist Selection Timeline: June 28, 2024: *Virtual Information Session; July 31, 2024: Deadline for submissions; August 8, 2024: Artist notifications.
Phase 2 – Mentorship Timeline: August 12, 2024: Selected artists will meet via Zoom to review the project, requirements and answer questions; August 26, 2024: Meet via Zoom for information session about beginning the mural process. Date TBD
For additional information, visit https://bfabroward.org/programs/public-art/.
Questions related to submitting should be directed through CaFÉ.
BFA offers its public art program to curate and facilitate interior and exterior murals and sculptures. Arts improve the image and identity of communities, attract new visitors and integrate the vision of both community and business leaders. The program supports local artists and creatives and reinforces the culture of community, connectivity, unity and engagement across diverse populations. Business for the Arts of Broward’s Public Art Committee’s mural program is modeled after Wynwood Walls in Miami, Yorkville Murals in Toronto, Mural Arts Philadelphia and the Baltimore Mural Program, among others.
For more information about BFA and its programs, contact Robyn Vegas at 954-940-4933 or rvegas@bfabroward.org.
About Broward Health
Broward Health, founded in 1938 and headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, ranks among the 10 largest public healthcare systems in the United States. Nationally recognized for its focus on high-quality care for the residents of Broward County and beyond, Broward Health boasts five hospitals, two trauma centers, a dynamic academic partnership with Florida Atlantic University, was the county’s first statutory teaching hospital and has an ever-growing graduate medical education program. It includes more than 50 health centers and physician practices covering virtually every healthcare specialty.
Broward Health never stops working toward its mission of Exceptional Care, Extraordinary Compassion and Everyday Excellence. Driven by more than 11,000 talented employees and physicians who deliver care to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay, Broward Health is one of the largest employers in Broward County with an operating budget of $1.6 billion, and annually provides almost $225 million of charity and uncompensated care.
For more information about Broward Health, visit BrowardHealth.org.
About Business for the Arts of Broward
Business for the Arts of Broward is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) engaging businesses and business leaders to advocate and educate about the importance of the County’s art and cultural community as well as to recognize the connection between cultural vitality, creative success, and economic development. To learn more visit facebook.com/BFABroward or bfabroward.org.
