Outdoor mural culture and public Art have been engaging communities for time immemorial and in the U.S. it really took off in the 1930’s and 1940’s with the WPA and The Post Office Murals where over 1400 murals were created in just over a decade.  And after WW2 the prosperity of the U.S. economy and of corporate culture aligned Public Art with the construction of new buildings throughout the country.  Current community based mural programs have emerged in most larger cities including Philadelphia, Washington DC, Buffalo, Chicago, and New York City among countless others.   They continue to bring murals and Art to the public locations where interaction with communities is inevitable. Also noted is the rise of graffiti and Street Art in the late 1960’s when a Philadelphia high school student , Cornbread, started “tagging” the city and eventually has become an important part of the Public Art mural movement.

Our focus here will be on murals and how to envision, plan, fund, create, and protect mural works.  All of this information can also be applied to interior murals, performance Art, public infrastructure, and integrated Art, among others.

Public art functions to build communities, foster dialogue, or encourage discussion of difficult issues. More practically, it can promote urban recovery, attract investment or cultural tourism, add to the value of land, increase the use of open spaces, and humanize the environment.  The ability to coordinate with a communities “design plan” can further a projects reach and acceptance.  This means understanding the architecture of a space/place, public use and requirements, as well as a broad understanding of concerns in and around cultural interpretations and ownership of the work itself.

Click on the section you would like to explore:

1. THE IDEA ENVISIONED

2. PLANNING AND LOGISTICS

3. KNOW YOUR MATERIALS

4. FUNDING

5. WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE

6. COLLABORATE, COLLABORATE, COLLABORATE

7. COLLABORATING with subcontractors

8. PRESENTING YOUR IDEA

9. CONTRACTS

10. TRANSFER YOUR DESIGN

11. PAINTING THE MURAL

12. PORTFOLIO, WEBSITES, & SOCIAL MEDIA

 THE IDEA ENVISIONED

Why you desire to create Art in the public sphere is probably the most important thing in understanding where to head next in regards to planning, funding, and creating successful public works of Art.  If you cannot verbalize your idea and speak to the public coherently and rationally about the proposed work it is difficult to truly make the next steps for locating funding.

Who is the Art for?  Making public Art means not only desiring to interact with and inform the masses but also one must see the project through the eyes of the people who will encounter this on purpose or only by chance.  This is especially important if the public has a say design-wise or financially in the creation of the project.  You cannot please everyone for sure, but you must be able to walk EVERYONE through the project explaining its purpose, goals, and your aspirations for the work.  There is also the important part of knowing if any of your design/message is offensive to or does not properly represent a group of people, history, or events. There have been many recent cases of public murals here In Maine being questioned for their content and message.  I personally have been working with Maine tribal members to find ways to represent language equally when using text within murals or in describing them.  This is something I am sorry to admit I never considered but I now understand as a necessity in order to speak to ALL of the public, not just a small slice of it.

First, write down your idea.  Now, write it down again, this time with as few words as necessary.  Read it to your partner, your Artist friends, and to your non-Artist friends.  Do people immediately understand what you wish to accomplish?  If they have many questions or have confusion then consider this and rewrite your idea and repeat with the goal of ANYONE who reads it will clearly understand what you are proposing.

Once you have your idea as clear and as simply stated as possible you must consider where this will project will happen if that is not already a part of the idea you have written.  How important is the location to your idea?   It should be an integral part of your idea and make sense with your mural/project idea.  The history of a building,  its location in a particular part of town,  its relationship to other public ART,  among other considerations will solidify and help your idea stand out when it comes to presenting your proposal. Will the proposed Art interact with the environment or community itself, as well as those experiencing it. For example in St. Paul Minnesota The Urban Flower Field project is a low-cost, short-term project that combines art and science to convert an abandoned lot into a vibrant center for learning and exchange. Knowledge of the over 5,000 acres of vacant land within the city and underused buildings along with its educational aspect made this an easy project to be funded. Finding as many ways for as many people to be invested in your project only makes you stand out.

Below, this mural project in Bucksport, Maine had a limited budget of $5000 to activate a LARGE building and was the second hurdle in this project. The first being to convince people that this historic building, The Alamo Theater, could have a mural adorn it. Research on our part revealed images of advertising murals that used to cover this side of the structure up into the early 20th century and this helped push the building owner and committee into allowing Artist David Hurley and myself to have some fun with colorful cutout shaped that could activate this barren wall/parking lot. The community enhancing part of the project and placing of Art into downtown Bucksport allowed the Maine Community Foundation to easily provide funding in its mission to revitalize small communities throughout Maine.

Dave and I proposed a colorful and animated scene looking at the history of the salmon and of logging on the Penobscot River that is directly across the street from the site. Since the brick and brick color were dominant and in lieu of painting the brick itself which would have been frowned upon we designed panels that we could attach with masonry screws into the mortar and the ability to remove. Being able to move the panels at a future date also was liked by the committee.

PLANNING + LOGISTICS

When public art is commissioned or proposed, it eventually has to be installed or created. The permitting process for public art can be as varied as the art itself. The degree of permitting required for a public art installation depends greatly on where the art will be installed, what type of art it is, who owns the property where the art will be installed and what government agencies have jurisdiction over the location where the art is to be installed.

When installed upon privately owned property, the most important permission would be from the property owner or its representative in writing. If the art is to be installed within the envelope of a building, governmental permitting depends on the complexity of the installation. Where the art installation is framed art in a lobby of a building, it is likely that no permits will be required. Similarly, where the same framed art requires special illumination, then an electrical permit may be required with all the corresponding inspections. Know the whole scope of your project!

In my work in Bangor, Maine in 2022 with Annette Sohns Dodd we had to get city and state permission before even considering presenting the project on the Franklin Street Post Office exit ramp.  Once we had these permissions in place we could present our idea that would then have to be approved.  Since then Annette has started a non-profit, Bangor Beautiful, to further expedite the process of seeking out mural locations and public art spaces within Bangor, getting the proper permissions in line for projected future projects.  In 2023 this allowed her quickly to adjust, when the first location sold and opportunity fell through, and secure a second building for Artist Matt Willey of The Good Of The Hive to come and create his 3-story mural in downtown Bangor.  She is currently working on securing locations for projects for the next 3-5 years and through this constant planning and pre-mural work bigger and bigger things are slated to happen in Bangor in the coming years. Bangor Beautiful also coordinates a city beautification program and allows them to better know downtown building owners and city officials, building a level of trust that is really what makes big projects some to light.

In cases where an art installation is within a private property but located in an outdoor setting, like an atrium, courtyard or in front of a building, besides the owner’s permission, a number of requirements by the municipality’s building department would likely be triggered. In cases where the art is sculptural, depending on its size and location in relationship to pedestrians and vehicles, plans and specifications would likely have to be prepared and submitted with engineering calculations that would determine and demonstrate the design’s ability to withstand its own loads as well as wind loads, public safety and even environmental concerns. Engineering as such would likely be the standard in such large sculptural installations, regardless of whether the installation is to be made in private property, government property or public right-of-ways.

Artists may hire a privately licensed contractor and work with them directly in order to obtain required permits and install the art.  Artists may also retain agencies that specialize in coordinating all the requirements that any given installation may need. These agencies’ responsibility can range from procuring the engineering calculations, plans and specifications to expediting the permits, obtaining insurance, hiring the actual contractors, supervising and approving their work, paying them and handling all releases of liens. The process can get complicated.

Some artists, because the installation of their art is not complex, or just for reasons of quality control, may elect to do their own installations and procure their own permits. Some jurisdictions may not allow an artist to do their own installation or pull their own permits due to the complexity of the project. Still, others may work closely with a contractor, who is familiar with their work, on all of their projects. Such artist-installer teams can work very seamlessly with the artist creating the designs and the technical partner handling all legal, technical and insurance requirements.

Other things to consider would be liability insurance for the work you are proposing.  Often small scale private commissions on private property can forgo this but even then it may be wise to have insurance in place for the unexpected.  Once projects become commercial and/or public insurance will most likely be required as well as other permits depending on the local municipality. Nobody want to be responsible for something going wrong, so everyone must be covered.

KNOW YOUR MATERIALS

Next, one must be competent in their knowledge of materials and substrates for murals.  The same could be said for sculpture installations and performance Art situations too.   In creating work for the public sphere safety comes first, then followed closely by durability and longevity of your Art.  If you are not totally competent in any of these areas ask for help and work with or hire someone who is!  This is another great reason to collaborate with others-  The more experience in your crew of collaborators the better.  Trust me!

The mural “wall” should be structurally sound and knowledge of what is currently coating the building/wall is a necessity in order to be sure your hard work, effort, and monetary investment does not come crumbling down or peel away after you are complete. If you are unsure of what is on the wall then it is worth having the wall stripped down to its base and start again with proper preparation and primer.  If you are attaching panels to a wall can it accept the screws, bolts, or attachments without concern?  What type of connectors will be needed for this surface? I often use masonry screws when attaching to brick or concrete. Some brick is extremely dense and I would then drill into the mortar. These types of screws are often rated for weight and knowing the approximate weight of your panels will help you feel confident inchosing the proper screw size. If the brick or mortar is too soft, drills too easily, then use a plastic or aluminum anchor to secure your screw. Plywood material weights differ by thickness and you can estimate fairly easily. I usually use 1/2” MDO for exterior work and at 37.5 lbs per full sheet of plywood you can see how you do not need to over-attach with excess screws, but a few extra cannot hurt for piece of mind.

Recently they have discovered that brick buildings do not hold up well when painting as they cannot breathe. This causes deterioration of the mortar and structural failure. This is one of many reasons I use shaped panels on brick walls as well as for being able to create mural indoor over the long winter season for installation when the warmer weather arrives. You could also use polyester canvas for this reason or even aluminum panels as did Hallowell, Maine muralist Chris Cart on his mural in Bath, ME.

What weather conditions will this mural be subject to both inside and out- Sun and ultraviolet light is concern both for exterior and interior murals.  Outside we also have to worry about wind, rain, snow, and occasionally vandalism. For both, a high quality U/V resistant varnish is most important and should be applied over a quality paint, usually a matte finish paint for proper adhesion.  For outdoors I usually use Satin or Gloss varnish to better withstand the weather, especially in this Northern climate! Inside I love a flat or matte finish that does not give light glare interference, or hot spots,  when viewing the mural.   There are also specialty varnishes for locations where vandalism is expected that allow easier removal of any unwanted “additions” to your mural. Also, in regards to vandalism, I will often use tamper proof screws on mural panels.

Paints of any type can be used but sometimes a particular one can increase longevity or be more appropriate for the particular project.  Mineral paints have been traditionally used on stone or brick buildings as they chemically bind to the surface.  Oil paints are often used indoors on more “painterly” murals that these paints lend themselves to.  Currently acrylic based paints are the paint of choice for the majority of muralists.  From high grade house paints to artists acrylics to specifically formulated acrylic mural paints that all can be used and often intermixed.  Project budget will usually dictate which paints will be used. I suggest to use flat or matte sheen paints as they have better coverage and give a great surface for accepting the necessary varnish.  If you are using materials new to you then do a sample that lets you know all materials will work together BEFORE you tackle the real wall or structure.

Wood panels or canvas can be used as a substrate to create murals in modular pieces that installed create the larger work of Art.  Properly prepared canvas can be installed indoors by a profession wallpaper hanger and even outdoors polyester canvas can be used when attached properly.  For wood you can use cabinet grade birch plywood indoors and outdoors MDO exterior plywood or High Density sign foam is a great option.  All can be cut by hand with a jig saw or with a CNC Computerized router for precision or very ornate cut outs.  Any wood or foam should be properly primed on ALL sides, edges included, before beginning the mural painting.

Brushes, brushes, brushes, oh them brushes. I spent well over a decade painting murals with house painting brushes, even those silly yet wonderful “chip” brushes. A few Artist brushes were in the mix but they were not expensive ones. All said they worked just fine for a long time as I built my portfolio and grew as an Artist. Not trained as a painter nor being able to afford good brushes I was in many ways just winging it and figuring it out as I went with the benefit of often working with others who were painters. Slowly I have come around to having some nice brushes and would recommend buying some when you can, but they are expensive and I really focus on cleaning them often as I am painting to be sure they last. Often I will go through three to six good brushes ( $25 - $45 each ) on a large mural. I work this into the cost of materials and don’t expect them to make it, but if they do I have extra brushes for the next project. My favorite brush are the Da Vinci Nova Synthetic Brushes but by no means are the only brush that can work. Often I buy specialty brushes for certain projects when needed. Liners, lettering brushes, and varnish brushes are a few in my arsenal as well as stencil, pouncing, dragging, and softeners for when special techniques are needed. Every mural is different and you need to have proper tools for such. I am not even getting into spray paint, as I do not do much if any of it, but street Art has made enormous palettes of spray paints available at Art supply stores like Artist and Craftmen in Portland, ME. Ryan and Rachel Adams use this technique in their work in Maine and beyond including the incredible piece on the side of The Farnsworth.

For taping I suggest Frog Tape and it comes in many widths and different levels of adhesions for when you are worried about it lifting painted areas. Automotive supply stores are great for other specialty tapes for lining and creating special effects. They also carry other tools and supplies that may have you rethink what your mural needs to be! I am still trying to find a way to use the flashe automotive paint in a project. On brick or concrete you will need to use a more adhesive tape and even duct tape if needed.

FUNDING

There are many ways to fund a project and which one, or ones, you choose ultimately depend on many factors.  That includes the scope and scale of a project,  the timeline for implementation,  as well as your personal and public goals.   Some Artists find or create ways to fund “out of pocket” a public project and this can be the easiest and most efficient way to do so as it eliminates many design and project message limitations that often happen when public or corporate money is involved.

“There are two main issues to consider when looking at how to fund a project: cost and control. The cost of the project represents your vision for what the entire project is expected to cost; the control aspect refers to which financial obligations you’re willing to take on, and what level of creative oversight you’d like to receive in exchange for footing that part of the bill. The reverse is also true: you may be willing to give up some creative control in exchange for financial unburdening.” Kelly Trager from FINDING ART FUNDING FOR EXHIBITIONS AND PROJECTS

Knowing who will benefit most from your project can be a great first step in looking at funding options.  If this is a community park project can town or city funding be acquired as a way to beautify the their community?  Are there abutting businesses that rely on the park for customers?  Can you bring increased business to the area?  Look for local foundations/philanthropists who hope to keep their town/city vibrant, current, and beautiful.  There may even be local residents that have the ability to assist in the funding in order to beautify their neighborhood!   Does the area rely on tourism?  Local and state tourism councils sometimes have monies or grants available.  Check nationally for organizations that wish to assist in making locations like yours more relevant and up to date-  Public Art as an impetus for change!   If you idea has a public service or political message maybe coordinating with a business or organization that has similar beliefs would be a win-win?! Networking and finding allies should always be top of your list and will in the allow you to stay creative and eventually create the projects YOU want to see happen.

Government funded grants and state Percent for Art opportunities are another great way to get into creating larger scale public projects.  These projects do come with many strings and constrictions though and can be restricting and time consuming,  although they are a great way to build your Public Art resume.  With a larger resume you can then more easily apply for and acquire funding in other less restrictive ways.  The more you do, the more you can do is really the one thing I have learned since 2019 when I reoriented my Art practice towards the public Art arena. The Maine Arts Commission is a great resource for asking questions about grants, how they work, and how to apply. I have never felt awkward asking questions and they always try to help you succeed whether for one of their grant offerings or one from another funding source. Don’t be shy! Eli Cabanas is grant and website coordinator at the commission and travels throughout Maine helping Artists gain confidence in funding their project ideas.

Eli’s recommends that when applying for grants to have a complete vision, have partnerships aligned when possible, have a clear goal, tell a story reviewers want to engage with, and above all be honest and yourself- No need for Art-speak in grant writing. In addition he adds to review the guidelines thoroughly, create a cohesive story that flows through all of your material, make a realistic and detailed budget, be passionate about your idea, and have someone else read your application.

Crowd funding via Go-Fund Me or other similar platforms is used by many Artists and organizations to pay for their projects.  This one is often overused and works best if the Public Art being proposed is actually beneficial to the community you are asking the funding from . Often Artists use this to fund themselves first, before the project, and that can leave sour taste in the wallets of the donors.  Being transparent and thorough in how the money is used is important for this to work successfully.  Using this to cover materials and other non-Artist related costs is the best way to employ these funds and then find other sources of revenue for getting paid for your time!  Let the donors know this up front and let them know their money not just for Artist profit.

That said there are many ways to use crowdfunding successfully. WomenArts.org has a great resource page for such and I recommend you check it out.

Having a clear, thoughtful,  and orchestrated plan is imperative to creating a stellar presentation that is professional, visually intriguing, and hits home quickly on why you need funding and how the funding will be used. The Here Is Magic mural at Waterfall Arts was funded by many sources and our presentation clearly explained our goal and expectations for the project. In this case the largest portion of money was acquired first and that made other sources for money and material donations easy to locate. This could also work the other way around and start by getting small donations and the momentum will lead to larger ones.

For a Percent For Art at the new elementary school in Monmouth, Maine I teamed with Belfast Artist David Hurley. We had completed one prior mural together and were in the midst of another when the call for Art came up on the Maine Arts Commission website. I check often because projects can appear at any time and often their timeline is short for applying. Our written “Idea” was to create multi-panel murals to activate the blank 300+ foot hallway, at the new elementary school using land + farm as our inspiration. Monmouth is at the edge of the lakes region and has a long history of farming in and around where the school is located. Looking back I think our idea could have been a little better spelled out but our two portfolios of murals, specifically shaped ones, showed how our scale of work could make the most Art for the money in this situation. This can be important because at this level the work often needs to be big enough to work with and enhance the architecture. They even added additional murals to the project after our final presentation.

In the second round we went all out in our presentation. This was during covid so securing a large project was important to us both. We relied on Dave’s strength of having worked within the school system and his love of working and collaborating with children. My design background and creating presentation for large scale projects helped us put together a presentation that was informative as well as visually stimulating. Again, our portfolio of past work would weigh heavily on receiving this award/project. We easily used all of our first round $500 award on this second presentation. Click the link below to see a PDF of this presentation that accompanied our on site “dog and pony show”.

WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE

Think about the people from the agency offering this grant and who will read this proposal. What are the agency’s mission and goals?  How is what you want to do aligned with what this agency is all about?   Often you can ask and they may or may not tell you who is on the committee.  Sometimes they will at least tell you the profession breakdown of a committee and the more you know the better so that you can focus the grant specifics to that particular committee.

Pay attention to everything the granting organization requires of you!  This is so important.   Your proposal should adhere exactly to these requirements.  Often grants are IMMEDIATELY dismissed if they are not followed to the exact letter of the law.  Study representative samples of successful proposals in your field or proposals that have received the particular grant you are applying for.  You can often find these often online or ask the grant organization if they have old grants available for review a they often do. Talk to others who have applied successfully for this or similar grants.  Many organizations like Maine Arts Commission are very approachable and want to help you be successful in your applying to a grant! DO NOT be shy in reaching out and asking questions.

Make sure that you present yourself as capable, knowledgeable, and forward thinking. Establish your credibility through the thoroughness of your plan, the intentional way that you present its importance and value, and the knowledge you have of what has already been learned or studied in relation to the grant and your proposed project. Appropriately reference any past accomplishments that verify your ability to succeed in your commitment to this project. Outline any partnerships you have built with complementary organizations and individuals.  Most committees really want to know that you can follow through and use the given grant money in a successful manner.  Try to put yourself in their shoes and make sure you would give money to your idea. If you yourself have questions when you read your proposal then it is not ready yet!.  Ask others to read your proposal and use their responses to guide you. Consider hiring a professional grant writer if your project deems it necessary.

Make sure that the organization of your proposal is logical and makes sense.  Don't get too wordy or “heady” as often your committee members come from professions that are not embedded in the Arts.  Divide your proposal into clear sections and label them with clear headings. Follow exactly the headings and content requirements established by the granting agency’s call for proposals.  Grant proposals are direct and to–the–point. This isn’t a good place for you to embellish your prose with flowery metaphors or weave in subtle literary allusions. Your language should be uncluttered and concise. Match the concepts and language your readers use and are familiar with. Your readers shouldn’t have to work hard to understand what you are communicating. Remember that there may be a large number of proposals being presented and being clear, concise, and rememberable is important to be placed into the “re-read” stack.  Often one person is reading 30 or more proposals. The ability to connect with a variety of peoples from different backgrounds will get your proposal at least re-read and if lucky into the final stack for consideration.

Go after grants of all sizes

Pay attention to small grant opportunities as well as the big ones.  This may mean finding multiple funding opportunities for your whole project.  If you found a hardware store to donate $500 in paint another source may then see the project as viable and be willing to donate larger funds that cover the big expenses.  It can also work the other way around and securing a large grant that covers most cost will make it easier to secure those last bits of money needed because they see the confidence the larger organization has in you. The Here is Magic mural project at Waterfall Arts drew funding from a number of sources to make it happen. In this case the largest portion was obtained from a foundation for the paying of Artists to participate as this part of our proposal that interested them and their foundation’s mission. After that was secured we were able to locate the other funding much easier as other sources could see that our goal was on its way to be reached and they were more apt to jump on board.

ARTIST RESIDENCIES

I am new to this as I have never had much time to break away from “life” and be away for extended periods of time. This past year though a micro residency with Coastal Mountain Landtrust + Waterfall Arts allowed me to collaborate with my wife Allegra for the first time in years at this level. I found that the residency was the first time I would allow myself to push the work in a new direction because I did not have to worry about the funding or client situation.

This was a relatively easy collaboration as we know each other well, but all collaborations mean that give and take must be broached and we went back and forth for awhile before landing on jewelry (Allegra once worked at a Goldsmith and likes jewelry a little bit ;-) ) that would adorn the trees ( I LOVE trees ) of the Stover Preserve in Belfast, ME. This brought us back to our previous Art lives, both with sculpture backgrounds, and was quite liberating at this point in our Art lives.

Because of the excitement around this project we went above and beyond what money was supplied by the residency and invested in the project spending well ver $1800 in materials including collaborating and paying master woodworker Bill Doub to create custom turned finials. The residency provided $500 each and covered some of our time, but nowhere near all of the time spent in the preserve, creating these oversize pendants, painting them, hanging them in the trees, having an event on site, and removing the temporary exhibit. It was stressful but so freaking exciting!

This project has now led to being offered to create a similar project at PenBay Hospital in Rockport, ME for their 1.75 mile wellness trail in 2024 and this time we will be getting paid nicely for our work allowing us to repay ourselves for our investment while doing the micro-residency. It also keeps our work adapting and finding new ways to present itself to the public in alternative venues. I will also say that this also happened because of the mural project that happened earlier in the year. Its success made the hospital have confidence and interest in my work and those involved with the murals. Building a network of those interested in your work and what you do means one project will almost always lead to another, and another, and another.

I also will say that the residency pushed us both in creating the panels themselves, but also in problem solving ways to mount the pendants, as well as present our project by creating a website page linked via a QR Code at the Preserve. This has made me rethink how to allow public Art to further interact with the viewer and even with those not able to see the project in person.

COLLABORATE, COLLABORATE, COLLABORATE

The most difficult and daunting part of entering the public Art arena I think is getting enough experience under your belt so that you can confidently apply for larger and more exclusive projects.  Teaming up with someone who has already written a successful grant or created a successful public Art project can really propel you forward in building your resume as well as learning invaluable information from this person. Clients, grant committees, and organizations want to know that you can first and foremost successfully complete a project -  Why would they gamble their money and resources on someone with no experience?  Would you?

Finding like minded collaborators takes time and determining if you and another person or two are simpatico and are able to file your egos away for the sake of a project is a great way of creating a work of Art larger than yourself.  Often we create  “Art” for ourselves and for the desire for people to recognize us and what we do. Public Art allows us to speak to many and maybe it is not the best time for not reveling in personal credit.  It is a chance for creating for good, for inspiring others, for making dialog possible on a grand scale.

Now, this is not an easy task, this working with others.  Our egos are fragile and getting our “just dues” and “credit” has been engrained within our Western based education system.  I can now admit after 20+ years of of collaborating that it took years, many years, to learn how to collaborate without worrying about if I was given enough, or the correct amount of credit for a project at its completion.  By collaborating often and always trying to recognize that point when I may be acting out of turn I am now much better at working with others.  My attitude these days has shifted to “why the heck can’t we ALL succeed?!”,  and that only happens when we work with, learn from, and teach others in the effort to create public Art that is honest and to the point, creating beauty, dialog, and making this world just a little more interesting. Among collaborators, trust is the most important factor for success. Trust is the key to harmony building and to effective communication. Trust cannot be built in the abstract by thinking, planning, and talking about it. The best way to build trust is to get to work. If possible, Artists should start out on a small scale and develop and learn to trust one another.

The below project was an impromptu collaboration that presented itself in the summer of 2023 with one issue- Three murals had to be designed, approved, and painted in 3 weeks during construction at PenBay Hospital as the psychiatric ward was slated to be reopened and was desperately needed. A few of our Here is Magic mural participants had been already working together on their own and a few others I knew had previous experience on similar projects so we joined forces to make this happen for the hospital. This was no easy task and I had never worked alongside so many mural Artists in one space with the goal of the three murals looking cohesive and not like 9 different Artists had painted them. The short notice also meant limited availability by everyone so we created a plan to come when we could, keep track of our time, and respect the work of all involved. This meant that sometimes what one painted may be altered and painted over the next day. Whose ego can truly handle that very well? I was the point person on the project as the hospital had approached me privately, but this is usually the best way to run a multi-person project anyhow. Too many cooks can cause confusion with the client management. The proposal and money aspects of the project were kept transparent to all and we split all the profit equally based on hours worked. In the end the honesty, consideration, and cooperation of all that were involved, including the on-site contractors made this project a huge success!

COLLABORATING with subcontractors

Another great way to collaborate is by using subcontractors who are specialists in their fields to make a public Art project more successful.  This can at the basic level mean hiring another Artist to assist in preparing materials or working with you on other aspects of the project that may be to much for one set of hands.  Or the hiring of professional installers to properly hang your new mural as they may be able to properly navigate any issues that may arise for works installed in public areas that require permits or permissions.  I always look at this “hiring” of others to be a collaborative effort and if you approach it that way and make them feel ownership in the project you can learn from them as well.  Often this creates new friendships and relationships that are more than just monetary exchanges for services.  Installers, designers, carpenters, painters, studio artists, upholsterers, fabric workrooms, gallery owners, public relation specialists, among countless others are always up my sleeve when I propose a project.  These relationships are always two sided in that I would drop anything for any of them if they needed my help in their own endeavors.  Basically, foster great relationships and friendships with all of those you can.  BIG projects can only happen if you have an army of like-minded creatives at your side.

Those of you that know me know also that I always believe in fair monetary compensation for everyone who works on a project.  That said, sometimes this means bartering for goods, usually Art related, or trades for services when a project is not adequately funded.  This is why nurturing relationships matters, because with a network of individuals that you can rely upon, and whom can rely upon you when needed, means that creative things can happen even when money is short, or not available at all. The project below was for a private client that began just before Covid appeared. A lot of back and forth had happened in talks for the project but after Covid we broke communication for a bit. A month or so later the initial sample had been on the clients mind again so we regrouped and started the process again, this time I brought woodworker Tom Higbee into the mix as I knew I had to get the project in the works quickly. Not doing everything myself, not being greedy, would allow this to happen. See the images below for how this process worked and how by having Tom involved that this project grew even larger and more exciting.

Collaborating with Tom is just one example of how subcontractors can make for a more successful and even more lucrative project. I have painters, builders, CNC operators, interior designers, and other Artists among others who are part of my “periphery team” that allow me to think bigger and better. This means nurturing these relationships by keeping in touch, stopping by their studio or shop regularly, and working them into my projects whenever possible. I used to think I would be more successful doing everything myself, but alas I was so so wrong. Every year projects get bigger, I have more creative say in them, and I make a decent amount of money for doing what I LOVE to do.

LOCATING Collaborators

Easier said than done.  We all fall at a different point in that blurry line between extroverted and introverted, but this can not be an excuse for not putting yourself “out there”.  I literally have to get myself physched up for every gallery opening, public event, or social situation. Sometimes I still will recoil and hide away in the studio when I should be out learning, experiencing, and finding others to bond with over common ideology and ideas.

Confidence in what you do is important and allows you to better put yourself into “open door” situations.  I still work at this often and I do think that by writing you can better understand and speak to what you do.  A journal, a blog (published or not published), Artists statements for yourself and for others, and grant writing are among many ways to work at your writing while better understanding what you do or what wish to do and how to tell others this clearly.  If you are comfortable in your own skin you can use that confidence to call on people of interest, go to a gallery and meet others, and not be shy about finding help on your next project.  For example, I am teaching this worship and putting my thoughts on public Art into writing so that I can know where I am headed next.  By writing all of this I better understand myself,  get to share what I know with others, get to learn from all of you, and find new creative relationships.   As I am writing this I also can say that I am discovering new avenues for my public Art through my research for this workshop so it is always a win.

Other collaborations can happen through networking with commercial businesses where your work will be visible to many and you will get a paycheck out of it too.  Talk to restaurant owners,  businesses with large spaces that could use some Artistic help or may have outdoor courtyards and situations where murals or sculpture or performance may benefit them and allow you to create something impactful.  I’ve even painted murals along with business owners in their spaces allowing them to have equal ownership of the created work while continuing to grow my portfolio.  Another great way to “get out there” is to offer your services to work with businesses to make their spaces more creative, more colorful, more inviting!   Giving my time and creative expertise to a person or project that I feel worthwhile has often led to a larger project or collaborative opportunity down the road.  Always put yourself “out there” and be open to unforeseen opportunity when doors open because they will!

PRESENT YOUR IDEA

Making your idea visually clear, concise, and exciting to a client, committee, or community is something you should consider a work of Art in and of itself.  The more someone can truly see your idea the less they can misunderstand or misinterpret it.  I recommend trying to determine who your committee or client is and gauge your proposal accordingly, but ultimately create a proposal that clearly shows your idea and explains it in the most basic of ways. I think the old adage of "explain it like you are doing so to a fifth grader” is a good start and this goes to any drawings or visual aids you use.  

Be honest with yourself and if you are not the best draftsperson consider asking or hiring someone that is competent to create your sketches, or find a way to use a computer photomontage to give a create a mockup of what you are proposing.  I often will use photographs of a given mural location to project or photoshop them into the location at scale.  This clearly informs them about the scale and scope of your project.  Again, for the Here Is Magic mural at Waterfall Arts we had an idea and not actual images or drawings of designs for the proposal, as we were going to include 30+ Artists in the project once we located funding and there were no drawings yet.  As you can see below a quick placing of the proposed hexagon panels, at scale, into the photo gave a clear idea of what these panels may look like once installed.  To help the donors visualize even more we chose four different pieces of Art from Artists with contrasting approaches to Art making and digitally placed them in hexagons to again make clear what our idea was instead of trying to explain it only in words.  Placing these onto the larger photo also kept everything in one easy to understand visual location that would accompany our written proposal- Together they answered most if not all questions the donors would have and I believe why the project was quickly funded and put into motion.

For many grants, including Percent For Art here in Maine you get to the second round with a clear and concise verbal description of your proposed project. This can often be accompanied by a sketch but only if it compliments your written idea in order to not confuse the reader. If you make it to the second round you get $500 to create a presentation and often this does not cover all of your time and materials in creating a stellar presentation. For this reason I often rely on my portfolio in conjunction with black and white drawings and maybe a few quick color studies if they are important to the proposed Artwork and its environment. I tend to spend the money on printed presentations that the committee can use during my talk and mark up and take notes on. A well organized and bound and printed presentation can set you apart from what I have seen so far. Every thing you do that makes the judges notice your professionalism matters.

On another project at Pascal Hall in Rockport, Maine a private client who had never done anything at this scale before in regards to a mural or Artwork required me to rethink the presentation.  I needed to find a way that would allow her understand the process and her being a visual person I could see that a visual presentation was needed to accompany the sketch for final approval.  I had budgeted some “design time” into my proposal, as I always do, that would give me a week to research and create a black and white sketch to scale- The problem being that the black and white sketch was fine for my needs in creating the mural but in regards to clearly explaining my idea to the client it lacked “color”!

To explain my black and white line drawing I started with an image of a skeleton and the Mona Lisa side-by-side to visually explain how this black and white drawing was the skeletal structure for the full color mural to come. I showed and explained about my process of collecting historic images and physically cutting and pasting to come to a desired composition. Often I find clients love being involved in the process, again as this allows them a feeling of ownership in the final creation. Both of these set the client at ease and the presentation moved forward in a positive manner with her only criticism being the desire for the Rockport Opera House to be added to the final composition. This was easy to do at this design stage and we then proceeded to the next step of creating a 2’ x 4’ color sketch of the approved composition that I then photoshopped into a scaled drawing with the proposed background wall color. I included a silhouette figure to scale, for reference, as I still knew she did not understand the grand nature of the 16’ x 25’ mural. After 4 months of preparation and sketches, and another 8 months of painting, the mural came to completion with the client in awe of how it “looked just like the sketch!”.

Some other private client presentation below show how if you allow the client to understand the project visually they more than likely will gain confidence in having you on board. I have done many on paper as well as in digital format depending on my read of the client and their level of visualization. Again, client management can make for an easy project or a disastrous one. Below are just a smattering of presentation images I have used over the years to explain my idea to a client.

CONTRACTS

Whether a grant or a private client you NEED to have a contract in order that clearly spells out all of your desires as well as allows you to understand the expectations of those you are working with and who are writing you a check.

For Percent for Arts and other Maine Arts Commission grants there are specific rules for how you must complete a project, sometimes requiring proper documentation and reporting at the completion. With Percent for Arts you will also be working with the entity where the Art is going as they are your final approval and method for receiving payment. In this case the Arts Commission is only the connection and facilitator of the project. Be sure to be in contact with the correct point person who will create and file the contract. Let them know your conditions and way of working or you may be disappointed when it comes time to get final approval and get paid. I always keep my method of working consistant yet flexible, whether a grant or a privately funded project. I ALWAYS get a deposit as it assures all involved that I mean business. This amount can vary of course but generally a $500 - $1000 deposit if I am to create designs to be approved or the 1/3 rule, a third up front, a third at the halfway point, and the remaining DUE upon completion with interest to be accrued after 30 days if unpaid.

For foundations they each have their own protocol and you just need to be sure to understand their expectations while at the same time making yours understood.

With private cliental you need to clearly state everything in writing. This not only helps them understand your process but keeps them and yourself in line. In addition communicate often with your client. Do not leave room for them to guess what you may or may not be doing.

TRANSFERRING YOUR DESIGN

Once your substate, whether a wall, canvas, or panels you are now ready to transfer and enlarge your drawing! There are a few way to accomplish this and your end vision should drive which way you choose to scale up and transfer your design.  First would be to just go at it and sketch your design with chalk or charcoal letting this morph as needed to fit the space.  This can work well with with some designs but is not very accurate and can be more haphazard feeling in the end.  

Projectors are often used by Artists.  This could be old school photo light box projector or one of many new digital projectors that can project your computer or phone screen to the wall.  The pros are that it is very accurate.  The cons are limitations for large walls, odd shaped rooms, or poor light conditions as the sauce needs to be dark to see the projection. 

The Grid Method is my Go-To for my murals as it is relatively accurate but allows for my painterly style to not be boxed in from the start.  I usually use a photo program on my commuter, like photoshop,  to grid my design with a 1” x 1” grid overlay.  I then scale this up to my wall using a grid over the Wal with the same number of squares.  You can then go square by square drawing each until the whole design is established taking as much time as desired to get as much detail in before you begin painting.  Personally I work with basic lines/shapes to keep my Painting more loose and free although one could get as detailed as needed, especially if you have figurative work, text, or very specific subject matter.

Scribble Grid is a method became popularized once artists started using Photoshop. It begins by painting unique looking scribbles over the entire wall. Then you have to get far back and take a very straight photo of the wall, called an orthogonal angle. It’s important to get far enough away that none of the lens distortion is causing any distortion in the image of the wall.  Once you have your photo you superimpose it on top of the mural image that you're trying to transfer with a program like Photoshop or Procreate. Then you essentially use the individual scribbles like a grid. The advantage of a scribble grid is that it's easier to put up than a traditional grid because you don't have to have a chalk line or a tape measure. You're literally just drawing whatever comes into your head, as long as the scribbles don't look exactly the same across the piece.

These are just a few techniques, but the key is to find the one that works best for you and your project.  You want to feel confident that you can capture the feeling of your design / sketch once it is enlarged.  One thing I can say is that Magic happens once you start scaling up your drawings and painting BIG!  

PAINTING THE MURAL

Having a plan will make your mural go smoothly with few issues. Again, being professional is key when working in the public sphere as eyes will be on you and you represent not only yourself but your business and the community. Public Art leaves a sour taste when done without professionalism and may hurt future Artists as well as yourself from creating more in a community.

Coordinate and communicate with building owners, funding sources, and local municipalities. Make your work site your studio and keep in in order. Matt Willy of The Good Of The Hive paints murals throughout the world and is successful because he knows he is visible and must act accordingly. When he arrived in Bangor, Maine in the summer of 2023 to create his 3 story he worked to coordinate all of the moving parts of his project including a 3 story lift, less than idea painting conditions, and collaborating with the Zillmann Museum of Art across the street. Painting the mural is just one piece of creating public Art and Matt combines his project mission with a desire to bond with a community while he is on site, whether for 2 weeks or 2 months.

Matt is always welcoming the public to engage in conversation while he works to ask questions and to have ownership in the mural itself. He met with Elizabeth Downs, the youngest beekeeper in Maine, and had her paint on the mural itself. Also, by collaborating with the museum he was able to create an installation, through a dance party, and give a museum talk to further his mission and leave Bangor with something special and wanting more!

The precursor project to this involved Annette Sohns Dodd and myself and our Kenduskeaug Trailhead Mural on Franklin Street in Bangor. Annette’s Rock and Art Shop had been raising funds for a new mural in Bangor and I was able to write a Project Grant through the Maine Arts Commission to make this project even more successful. The 14’ x 80’ concrete wall at the exist to the Post Office on Franklin Street was huge and our budget with the grant only around $5000. To FILL the wall we combined Annette’s abstract mural wall painting style (one of her many styles) with my painting on shaped panels to activate this large wall situation. Once we had a sketch approved we had to wait until Spring and the warmer weather before painting the concrete, but in the meantime I was able to cut and paint my panels that referenced the fauna of the Kenduskeag Stream itself. Once the weather was above 50 degrees for over a week and not freezing at night we were able to prepare the concrete wall. We pressure washed the wall to remove any dirt and other detritus. Then two good coats of tinted Acrylic primer and then Annette started painting with me joining in as well as any passerby who wished to pick up a brush and help! So much fun-

We kept a clean and tidy area and pulled our wagons of paint and materials back to The Rock and Art Shop in the evenings. Being professional and treating our mural location honorably lets those who saw us paint it that this was not just paint on a wall and that we respected our own work and that the community could too. In early June of 2022 we hauled the panels I had created to Franklin Street where we met Bangor Sign Company, who I had befriended and asked to install these panels for us. I had never had “Professional” installers on a project before but having received the Project Grant we were able to work smarter and not harder to complete the project. I will say we had asked another company first about installation ,who had unfortunately heard we had received the grant, and estimated an outrageous $4500.00 for the installation that ended up only taking 2 hours and costing $1100.00 from Bangor Sign Company! The point being to get multiple estimates when you are hiring subcontractors. Being outdoors and needing a lift to install on a busy exit ramp from the post office made it smart not to try this ourselves. Pick you battles.

A side note is that we received a lot of emails and social media posts about concerns of vandalism. We could have used anti-graffiti varnish, but did not as it was out of line with our budget. We could feel the pride in the community about the mural as we were painting and decided to use our normal Modern Masters UV Exterior Varnish and deal with vandalism if it did happen. Almost 2 years later there has been none, but only one accidental destruction of a fish by a semi-truck illegally using the exit ramp. Not getting upset I took this as a challenge to repair and return as soon as possible. I learned about using Automotive filler to repair gouges and found that I could use a clear primer over the lightly sanded panel, repaint what was needed, and revarnish. Good as new and back up 2 weeks later!

I will share a few of the most basic tips for painting to help newcomers get up to speed. No matter what paint type you use different hues will be more or less transparent based on the pigments and clarity of the color. Bright yellows, oranges, and reds are notorious for taking 2, 3, or 4 coats to get complete coverage! For very graphic and shape driven murals using a gray primer will help as well as using a similar hue that has more white, more muted, in order to get to the desired coverage sooner. For more painterly murals the key is understanding layers in building up colors. My own personal rule is the more paint and layers the better! Many new muralists think they can paint their composition very quickly and wonder why the mural looks pale, sketchy, and unfinished. This is often due to lack of layers. Even a graphic mural with lots of flat color needed to have enough paint to create the look you are going for.

Understanding and always considering the viewer is important. Is this mural seen from 2 feet away or 40 feet way up on the side of a building? This will dictate your level of detail painting and understanding that things seen from afar need to be BIG and BOLD so they can be interpreted from that distance. I make a point of using larger brushes for this situation to avoid getting fussy. On murals seen up close, especially interior murals I find, one should consider how the mural will be seen and examined from up close. I try to use this opportunity to use brushwork to draw people into the mural. This is not always the case if doing a graphic work and in that case I would be sure to have crisp lines and full coverage of paint to create the desired graphic effect.

Find a way to work that works best for you! Do you mix paint on a palette? On the wall? How do you organize your worksite to your advantage? Myself, I have evolved to a way of working where I have most of my palette selected and put into small 3-4 ounce screw lid containers. I used to dip right into the paint cans but found I was wasting so much paint that I needed to have less opened at once. I can open a few small containers as needed and I mix as needed on tin foil as my palette. I always have one or two containers of water available for keeping paints movable and my brushes clean. When I am done for the day I use a spray bottle to spritz each paint before closing and stir with a wooden skewer when I open each day. This has kept most paints going for a year or more and some even longer! Also I find that I in actuality use very little paint.

Different hues have different properties when it comes to coverage. Bright “clear” colors have very little white in them and therefore good coverage to acquire the full intensity of the hue may take many many coats to achieve. Bright reds, oranges, and yellows are notorious for this, but also bright greens and blues can challenge you too. More muted hues often have white and/or black added and this creates a better covering paint.

First, I never use white primer but prefer to tint it too a color or at least a light to mid -range gray. This allows you to get better coverage, and full hue intensity quicker. For more graphic murals I may start with a variation of my desired color that has white added to it and is a bit muted. This can then allow your bright hue to quickly get up to speed and intensity! Different types paints is also something to consider. High end house paints will not cover as well as say Golden Mural paint in the same hue. The Artist paints tend to have more pigment added and this additional pigment allows for better coverage. This should be considered for large bright hued murals, as what appears to be extra cost up front will probably save you in the end as opposed to using house paint. I often mix and match product in a mural based on what I need and the effect I am going for.

PORTFOLIO, WEBSITES, & SOCIAL MEDIA

So the number one thing I hear from other Artists is how they don’t want to be chained to social media and I get it, you can get sucked in and waste hours and hours of time that could be spent on your projects or just enjoying life. So first lets discuss having a portfolio of you work kept up and presentable at a moments notice because opportunity is available if your are prepared on the spot. First, if you are new to the work you want to do and don’t have a portfolio yet, make one that consists of ideas you WANT to make! My prior mural work was highly decorative and did not get across the ideas I wished to create. I did this a few years ago and realized how it not only gave me something to show people, but it really helped me understand what I wanted to do myself. Digital mock-ups of “proposed” projects was what I called them and they really opened up some doors and also helped me understand the power of a presentation.

A website portfolio can be simple and effective. Just a gallery of GREAT QUALITY images for people to view in or not in your presence. I used to manage two website, one foe decorative Artwork and another for my studio Fine Art. In an effort to free some time from website management I had a sit down with my friend and fellow Artist Kirk Linder (He is also a website creator) and his fresh eyes on my situation saw that I had too much going on and by combing my websites I could save time and wasted energy. We also discussed key words for what it was I was doing and “collaboration” kept coming up. Whether creating decorative Art for cleints and designers or creating Public Art, or even my way of exhibiting my studio paintings the key was collaboration. Since this 2020 rebranding of myself I find that people now seek me out for collaborate. The power of words to define who we are is amazing!