Project Description 

The City of Moscow and the Moscow Arts Commission (“MAC”) invite artists and artist teams to submit qualifications for a mural to be installed at the East City Park stage. The mural will be painted on the exterior walls of the new stage structure and existing, adjoined restroom structure, at East City Park located at 900 E 3rd St, Moscow ID.

The first stage at East City Park was built by community volunteers in 1983. This extraordinary gift to the community hosted countless performances and stood as a testament to the spirit of volunteerism that thrives in the heart of Moscow. In keeping with that, the theme for this project is community-sourced, as Moscow citizens were generous in sharing their stories about the park. Moscow Poet Laureate, Miriam Akervall, wrote a poem reflecting on these stories to guide the muralist’s creative work. The poem and the stories are linked here for artists’ reference. 

Artwork Design Parameters 

The mural will be painted on two different substrates: ground face CMU with flush mortar joints and parge coat on the new stage structure (approximately 645 sq. ft.) and cement backerboard with parge coat on the restroom building (approximately 155 sq. ft.). The mural is anticipated to last between 5-8 years, so paint materials used to complete this project must be professional, exterior-grade, water-based coatings designed for exposure to year-round exterior conditions. This site cannot accommodate murals on panels, kinetic or sculptural works, or any artwork that requires power or water. 

See site details located at the end of the RFQ document linked here.   

Budget 

The artist honorarium for the mural installation is not to exceed $24,000. Included in this budget are the artist’s fee, insurance, travel, fabrication, engineering, materials, installation, documentation, and all other costs accrued by the artist specific to this project. The artist honorarium does not include costs associated with surface preparation, priming, and the application of an anti-graffiti coating after the mural installation. These processes will be completed and paid by the City of Moscow.

Eligibility 

Artists eighteen (18) years-of-age and older from the United States are eligible for this project. Preference may be given to artists who live in Latah County, Nez Perce County, or those who are Nez Perce or Coeur d’Alene tribal members and/or have a significant Idaho economic presence, with secondary preference given to those artists who live in Asotin County or Whitman County. Artists are eligible regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital or familial status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, and gender expression or identity. Artist teams are eligible to apply, including teams of artists from multiple disciplines. MAC members and their immediate family members are not eligible to submit a proposal.       

Important Dates (subject to change) 

October 7 - November 17, 2026 RFQ Submission Period

December 2026 - January 2027 Finalists create site-specific proposals 

February 2027 Selected Artist Announcement 

May 31, 2027 Installation Deadline         

Round #1 Submission Requirements & Selection Criteria 

Round #1 of the selection process welcomes the submission of artist qualifications and examples of past work. These materials will be evaluated by the MAC, which will then recommend up to four (4) finalists to create site-specific proposals. No site-specific designs will be reviewed or considered in Round #1 of the submission process. Each of the finalists will be required to enter into an agreement for creating the site-specific design and will receive a $1000 honorarium which is anticipated will be used towards travel expenses, food, design fees, lodging, and any and all expenses related to the creation of artist’s proposal and presentation. Round #1 submission materials include: letter of interest, resume, work samples (Include up to 6 photographs of no fewer than 2 projects of a similar or larger scale).

Artists or design teams should ideally have the ability to think conceptually, the ability to communicate and be flexible, experience working with design professionals and integrating artistic concepts into construction documents, the ability to work with architectural drawings, and prior experience with collaborative group work situations and public art projects of a similar scale. 

Preference may be given to artists who live in Latah County, Nez Perce County, or those who are Nez Perce or Coeur d’Alene tribal members and/or have a significant Idaho economic presence, with secondary preference given to those artists who live in Asotin County or Whitman County. A significant economic presence includes living in Idaho, owning a business registered in Idaho, or maintaining an office or studio in Idaho.

Artist submissions earn points according to criteria below, with extra points given for artists based on residency in the following locations:

EXTRA POINTS

· Artist lives in Latah County, Nez Perce County, or is a Nez Perce or Coeur d’Alene tribal member. (3 extra points)

· Artist has a significant Idaho economic presence. (3 extra points)

· Artist lives in Asotin County or Whitman County, WA. (2 extra points)

REGULAR POINTS

Letter of Interest (4 points)

The artist’s letter articulates interest in pursuing this project as well as describing its relevance to their artistic practice. The letter also reveals an understanding of and connection to the public art site and project description.

Resume (5 points)

The artist’s resume reveals a record of practice in the art field, including public art commissions.

Past Work (16 points total)

· The applicant submits photographs of at least 2 completed public art projects of similar or larger scale. (6 points, staff review only)

· The artist’s past work reveals aesthetic, conceptual, and technical expertise. (10 points)

Round #2 Submission Requirements & Selection Criteria 

Finalists selected in Round #1 will submit site-specific designs in Round #2. Submission requirements and selection criteria are listed in the RFQ document located here.

Selection Panel (MAC)

The MAC will conduct review and vote on recommendations for finalists and selected artists, per Section III. C. 4. of the Public Art Guidelines. MAC members and their immediate family members are not eligible to submit a proposal. MAC members shall declare a conflict of interests if they or a member of their household or business could financially benefit from the project. MAC members shall also declare a conflict of interest if a person with whom they share a household or whom they professionally represent has a matter to be considered by the MAC. Such person shall recuse themselves from any participation in any process for the project the MAC is considering. No member of the project’s architect or landscape architect, interior designer, or engineering firm may apply for a public art project being designed by that firm.

Selection Procedures and Responsibilities

1. Moscow Arts Manager will provide an orientation for the MAC. The orientation may include a presentation of works currently in the public art collection, review of program guidelines, orientation to the specific project; and/or a review of any goals already established by the participating department and the Moscow Arts Manager and MAC. 

2. The MAC will review all submissions pertaining to the public art project using the published criteria.

3. Approve all recommendations by a majority vote of the full MAC.

4. The MAC will make recommendations on finalists and their work to the Arts Manager, after which the MAC will vote to recommend an action on the project to City Council. 

5. The Arts Manager will generate a project report to present to the Mayor and Council for final approval. 

6. The City reserves the option of making no recommendation from submitted applications and may require reopening of the request for qualifications or may propose other methods of selection, if no proposal is accepted.

7. The Selection Panel must always adhere to the requirements of Moscow City Code Title 5, Chapter 18 and the Public Art Guidelines adopted by City Council. 

About Moscow, ID 

Moscow is settled on the rolling hills of the Palouse, a rich landscape long inhabited by the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce), Palus (Palouse), and Schitsu’umsh (Coeur d’ Alene) tribes indigenous to the region. The City of Moscow was incorporated on July 12, 1887, and its modern history is rooted in agriculture; the surrounding region produces top-quality wheat and pulses. The presence of farming in the community goes far beyond commerce, however, as grain silos and other architectural features announce agricultural endeavor as part of the community’s aesthetic identity. 

Moscow is home to the University of Idaho, a land grant institution established in 1889. School spirit influences the atmosphere of the city, imbuing it with the balance of gravitas and celebration that characterizes educational experience. University arts programs like the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival and the Prichard Art Gallery have greatly contributed to Moscow’s identity as a cultural center. The community is rich not only in visual and performing arts events, but also in recreational and culinary opportunities. Residents and visitors alike enjoy the Palouse landscape at recreational features like Moscow Mountain and the Bill Chipman Palouse Trail, followed by tastes of the region at area restaurants, wineries, and breweries. he Bill Chipman Palouse Trail, followed by tastes of the region at area restaurants, wineries, and breweries. 

City of Moscow Public Art

Public art is at the heart of Moscow’s creative culture, and with a collection including works by local and regional artists, its public spaces reflect the Inland Northwest’s tradition of artistic excellence. The City of Moscow Arts Department and the Moscow Arts Commission (MAC) share a mission to enrich the community by celebrating and cultivating the expressions of all forms of art and culture. The MAC has fostered artistic excellence and public access to the arts in the city since its founding on October 2, 1978. Programming includes curation of exhibition space at the Third Street Gallery inside City Hall, a biennial Mayor’s Arts Awards, Moscow Poet Laureate programming, and a comprehensive public art program. 

The City of Moscow’s acquisition of public art began in the 1980s and is supported by a 1%-for-the-Arts fund established in 2004. A Public Art Master Plan, adopted in 2015, guides the incorporation of new works into the City’s landscape. Stewardship of the collection is a collaborative effort, with artistic advice from the MAC, direction from City Council, and operational details managed by Arts Department staff. The Public Art program aims to reflect the character of Moscow by fostering relationships between individuals and institutions in the community. Whether part of the University, business community, or the agricultural tradition, the City’s creative partners generate aesthetic excellence, civic identity, and economic strength by supporting the arts.

The Public Art collection is currently comprised of more than 220 temporary and permanent features. Temporary artworks include vinyl-wrapped utility boxes and bus shelters as well as a sculpture garden featuring artworks on loan to the City. Artworks in the permanent collection range from mosaic murals and sculptures-in-the-round to framed pieces in the Portable Collection. Each new piece in the permanent collection joins others by celebrated regional artists including Harold Balazs, David Govedare, Miles Pepper, Robert Horner, Melissa Cole, J. Casey Doyle, Jay Rasgorshek, and artist team Jennifer Corio and Dave Frei. 

Moscow is a community rich with diversity of thought, inhabited by minds open to possibility and creative interpretation. As such, the Public Art program not only celebrates the artist as a professional and valued business partner, but also welcomes a broad range of appearances, media, and art-making processes into its collection.