Mural project seeks artists and designs

March 3, 2023  |  By MK Monley

The open, windowless area on the back side of 29 Stowe Street will be the canvas for a new mural. Photo by Gordon Miller

The Public Art Team of the Waterbury Area Anti-Racism Coalition led by Chiyomi McKibbin and MK Monley has drafted a Request for Proposals seeking Vermont-based artists to design and work with the community to paint an original artwork mural at 29 Stowe Street. 

The property is the building situated beside the Stowe Street bridge where Stowe Street Cafe and Bridgeside Books are located and owned by Nicole and John Grenier. The space for the mural is on the rear side of the building in a windowless area measuring 26 feet x 12 feet. 

The Waterbury Area Anti-Racism Coalition is seeking experienced mural artists with a unique aesthetic to create a complex, engaging, and meaningful mural. Artists are asked to submit designs that reflect the organization’s mission: “The Waterbury Area Anti-Racism Coalition (WAARC) works to create a community where every person can fully experience freedom, belonging, and love on a daily basis.”

Project organizers strongly encourage applications from those who identify as people of color, as LGBTQ+, or with disabilities; those who are immigrants, low-income citizens, or veterans.

More detailed information, requirements and instructions are online here.

Applications must be submitted by email addressed to Life LeGeros at: WAARCpublicartproject@gmail.com and are due on Sunday, April 16. The selected artist(s) will be notified by Friday, April 28. 

The selection committee is made up of several coalition members in our community who have shepherded the concept of a public art piece since WAARC’s inception in June 2020. The selected artist(s) will collaborate with a Community Coordinator to engage community members of all ages and backgrounds in the public art process to paint the mural together. 

This mural is another way to beautify our town while amplifying Waterbury as a local and tourist destination for arts and culture, expanding the creative economy, while affirming our collective commitments to racial justice and inclusion.

A crowdfunding effort will be launched in the spring with a goal of raising $10,000 toward the cost of this project. 

MK Monley is a member of the Waterbury Area Anti-Racism Coalition and a leader of the group’s Public Art Team.