June 26, 2019 Update – the Budget has been Increased to be $15,000 Canadian, all inclusive.
The Rossdale Community League (RCL) is pleased to offer an artist the opportunity to create a mural in a unique location. The mural will be painted under the James MacDonald Bridge by the river valley bike trail that winds alongside the beautiful North Saskatchewan River.
The Under the Bridge mural will be enjoyed by Rossdale residents, and visitors to the river valley, in this prominent location, which is visible to users of Edmonton’s river valley trail system.
Rossdale is one of Edmonton’s oldest neighbourhoods. It has a long history of First Nations use dating back 8,000 years and in 1802 two fur trading forts were built in the area of the present Rossdale Generating Station. Rossdale became the supply point for the Klondike Gold Rush and the site of several industries, including a brewery, ice house, lumber yard, power plant and coal mine.
Most of Edmonton’s early cultural activities also took place in the area: Diamond Park was for many years the site of Edmonton sporting events that included baseball, soccer and football.
Rossdale is also where Alberta was inaugurated as a province in 1905 by Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier. Today, Rossdale is a vibrant, river valley residential community, situated in Canada’s largest urban park setting.
Budget
Updated June 26, 2019 to be $15,000 Canadian, maximum for the art-work (all-inclusive). (This Call supercedes the Call that was previously issued in the amount of $4,500.)
Power washing the concrete will be provided by the City of Edmonton.
An optional, separate quote to provide an anti-graffiti coating to the art-work can be submitted for consideration – maximum coverage not to exceed 2,000 square feet (described in further detail below under Requirements). Please, specify the type of anti-graffiti product included in the quote.
Requirements
The base of the pillars need to be painted grey to match the grey that the City uses when repainting over graffiti - from ground-level to approx. 9’ above the ground. This area does not need to have anti-graffiti coating applied to it.
In general - the art mural is to commence 9’ above the ground and go up to the top of the pillars. There are approximately 8 bridge pillars – four on each side of the bike path – measuring approximately 9’ wide and about 25’ high in total (8 pillars x 16’ x 9’ wide or approx. 1,000 sq.’ assuming just the side of the pillar facing the bike path is painted and excluding the base of the pillars which will be grey as noted in the bullet above). Plus, there are six horizontal spans between the 8 pillars (approx. 9’ x 30’ x 6 spans = 1,600 square feet). Between the 8 pillars and 6 horizontal spans the total surface is approximately 2,600 sq. feet BUT the mural cannot exceed 2,000 sq. feet as the budget for anti-graffiti coating is limited to a maximum of 2,000 square feet – as noted above the anti-graffiti budget in separate from the artwork budget of $4,500. The artist is to specify in their proposal which areas will be painted and the total square footage of the artwork.
Bright colors are desirable.
Art cannot be political, religious or racist in nature and Illegal tags not allowed
For the purpose of this call, artists are not required to submit a finished piece. In progress or past work that illustrates vision, aesthetic, and approach is sufficient; the submission should be clearly noted as being “conceptual.”
The artist must guarantee that the artwork is original and does not violate the copyright of any other person.
Submissions Due 9:00 p.m., July 9, 2019
Electronic submissions to be submitted in high definition resolution to: bunting@shaw.ca
A description of the proposed mural is preferred but not required. If provided, it should be a maximum of one page in length and will be displayed along with the submission, at a community-hosted open house.
Selection Process July 11 (7 – 9 pm)
All submissions and descriptions of the artwork, if provided, will be displayed at the Rossdale Community Hall (no photos will be allowed) and Community members will cast ballots in Round One voting. The two pieces with the most votes in Round One will proceed to Round Two voting wherein the community members present will be asked to cast a ballot for the piece they like most, of the two pieces from Round One. In the event of a tie, the two artists’ names will be put in a hat and the winners name will be drawn from the hat.
Installation Date
August 2019, completion by August 31
Location
On the west end of the James MacDonald Bridge – 100 Street and 97/98 avenue. Installation will be on the concrete pillars and/or horizontal spans between the pillars UNDER the James Macdonald Bridge next to the bike trail (see photos below)
Additional Information
Natalie Bunting, Rossdale Community League, Treasurer 780-984-2334
