City of Memphis’ Percent-for-Art Program

UrbanArt Commission | uacmem.org

THE MOVABLE COLLECTION | CALL TO ARTISTS

Release Date: Monday November 10, 2025

Budget: Works between $500 and $1,500

Deadline: Friday, Decembert 12th, 2025 at 11:59 pm

Eligibility: Any artist living and working within the Memphis metropolitan area. Artists may submit as a team if desirable. *Artists selected from the 2019, 2020, or 2023 Movable Collection are not eligible for this year's application process. 

BACKGROUND

The UrbanArt Commission (UAC) works to create opportunities for artists and  neighborhoods to connect and shape spaces through public art. Since 2002, UAC has managed the City of Memphis’s Percent-For-Art Program, which allocates funds annually to develop public art in connection to capital improvement projects. A portion of these funds support the Movable Collection, a publicly-owned permanent collection of studio work by local artists. The collection is displayed in municipal buildings, including City Hall, libraries, and community centers, where it can be appreciated by the public. Additionally, the collection serves as an archive for future generations of Memphians, representing the diversity of local visual arts, craft, and design.

SITE SPECIFICS

UAC is partnering with the Memphis Public Libraries to create pop-up galleries of local art in branch libraries. 

 

With this round of purchases, UAC is prioritizing installation in the following library branches:

• Gaston Park
• Cordova
• Orange Mound
• Central Library

Founded in 1893, Memphis Public Libraries have made it their mission to “satisfy the customer’s need to know.” In addition to books and e-books, the libraries offer career services, media production resources, literacy and ESL assistance, and daily programs for children and adults. 

https://www.memphislibrary.org/

SCOPE OF WORK

UAC and the Memphis Public Libraries are seeking to purchase studio work by local artists for temporary display in branch libraries and permanent installation in libraries or other public facilities. 

The selection committee is interested in building a collection that:

• Includes a wide range of media (painting, photo, illustration, sculpture, etc.) and artmaking practices (fine art, design, craft and traditional arts, new media).
•  Features work by established, emerging, and non-professional artists.
•  Represents the demographic diversity of the Memphis arts community.
• Consists of artwork that is well-crafted, visually engaging, and thought-provoking.
•  Is appropriate for display in all-ages public facilities.

The committee will select artwork based on artistic merit, professional or community recognition (if applicable), equity and inclusivity goals of the collection, and site-specific considerations. Applicants should submit existing artwork that is available for purchase; the committee will not consider unfinished work or proposals. Work must be ready to install, framed (if applicable), and should require minimal maintenance. UAC and the City of Memphis are committed to equity and inclusion in our work. People of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, differently-abled and neurodiverse persons, indigenous peoples, youth, seniors, and women are strongly encouraged to apply.

SELECTION COMMITTEE

Nakia Armstrong, Memphis Public Libraries

David Christie, Memphis Public Libraries

Barbara Conard, Memphis Public Libraries

Erica Vanhaute, Artist Representative

Kaylyn Webster, Artist Representative

Camaron Spencer, Artist Representative

PROJECT TIMELINE

Monday, November 10th, 2025  RFQ released 

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025  UAC Information Session

 Friday, December 12th, 2025   RFQ deadline 

 Friday, February 27th, 2025            Notify Selected Artists

 

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

UAC posts all open opportunities and accepts applications online through Submittable. Follow the steps below to apply to an open UAC opportunity through Submittable:

1. To apply to an open Request for Qualifications, go to www.uacmem.org/calls-to-artists .

Click on the opportunity that you are interested in to view more details.

2. Clicking on the blue Submit button will redirect you to our Submittable page, which

contains all of our current open opportunities. Click the Submit button next to the

opportunity that you wish to apply for, or if you are already within an opportunity, scroll

down to the Create your account / Have an account? Sign in form.

3. If you already have a Submittable account, click the Have an account? Sign in tab to

sign in to your account. If you don’t remember your password, use the Forgot? link.

4. If you don’t have a Submittable account, you must create one to apply. Create your free account by filling out the Create your account form. Fill in all information and click the Create Account and Continue button to continue with the submission process.

5. From there, you will be able to complete and submit your application. You can now use

this account login when submitting to all future UAC opportunities. Once you have

submitted your application, you will receive a confirmation email that confirms receipt of

your full application.

Please submit the following materials online at _____________:

• Up to 3 images of work currently available for purchase, including title, date,

medium, dimensions, and price.

• A brief cover letter or statement, introducing yourself, your work, and your

involvement in the arts in Memphis (200-500 words approximately; not to exceed (1/2 page)

OPTIONAL:

 Résumé or CV (not to exceed 2 pages)

For more information about this project, please contact: 

Richard Echols | Program Manager

901.881.8205| richard@uacmem.org 

INFORMATION SESSIONS

_____________________________________________________________

UAC will host a virtual information session for interested artists on Wednesday, December 3rd, 2023 The virtual session will be recorded and a link made available to applicants who are unable to attend during that time. Interested artists who have not completed a public art project previously or not completed a mural at this scale are strongly encouraged to reach out to the UAC team in advance of submitting their application. Artists may also schedule a meeting with UAC staff to review their application and portfolio. Appointments are available until 1 week prior to the close of the call to artists. See project contact information below. 

DISCLAIMERS

UAC is committed to equity and inclusion in our work. People of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, differently-abled and neurodiverse persons, indigenous peoples, youth, seniors, and women are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Applicants will be notified as to the status of their application. Commissioning of artists by UAC and the pursuit of all UAC activities are implemented without preference to racial or ethnic origins, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, disability, or age.

 

UAC reserves the right to modify this solicitation and to request additional information from participating artists.

 

UAC reserves the right to accept or reject, at any time prior to the commissioning of a work, any or all proposals when the acceptance, rejection, waiver or advertisement would be in the best interest of the project. 

 

The UAC team will be responsible for all correspondence and communication by and between applicants and members of selection panels. Discussion regarding these projects by and between any applicant and any member of a selection panel outside of regularly scheduled meetings during the selection process may be grounds for the disqualification of the applicant. Such determination shall be at the discretion of UAC.

Raleigh Markers | DESIGN ONLY CALL TO ARTISTS

Release Date: Thursday, October 23rd, 2025

Design Stipend: $4,000 (in addition to four finalist honoraria of $500 each)  

Deadline: Wednesday , December 3rd, 2025 at 11:59 pm

Eligibility: Any artist living and working within the Memphis metropolitan area. Artists may submit only one proposal per project opportunity, but are invited to submit as a team if desirable. 

 

BACKGROUND

Once the county seat of Shelby County, Raleigh, Tennessee, was established in 1824 and named by Joseph Graham after his hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina. First settled around 1816, the area flourished in its early years but declined after the county courts were relocated to Memphis in 1866. Raleigh eventually surrendered its city charter in 1912, becoming part of unincorporated Shelby County.

Despite this transition, Raleigh experienced a brief renaissance in the late 1800s as a popular resort destination. Known for its pure, medicinal springs—discovered by Dr. David Coleman in 1842—the area attracted visitors from Memphis by train and electric rail. The centerpiece of this era was the grand Raleigh Inn, built in 1892 by the Duke family of North Carolina. With more than 100 rooms, elegant ballrooms, and modern amenities like electric lights and long-distance telephones, the Inn became a thriving hub for recreation, concerts, and dances until its closure in 1903, following the decline of the springs.

Beyond its natural springs, Raleigh remains home to meaningful community landmarks such as For the Kingdom Camp and Event Center and numerous churches that continue to shape its cultural and spiritual identity. Even before becoming a camp and event space, For the Kingdom nurtured creativity and artistry, with ties to local legends like Isaac Hayes. Raleigh’s church community reflects a rich, multi-denominational heritage—Pentecostal, Catholic, United Methodist, Non-denominational, and Church of Christ—all contributing to the area’s resilience and community life. In 2016, the City of Memphis bought up the Raleigh Mall to build the Raleigh Springs Civic Center. The Civic Center houses a public library, police station, traffic and special operations station, and skatepark.

Geographically, Raleigh is bordered by Frayser to the west, Bartlett to the east, the Wolf River and I-40 to the south, and the Memphis city limits to the north. Today, its economy is largely retail-driven, anchored by commercial corridors along Covington Pike and Austin Peay Highway. Notable landmarks include Methodist North Hospital, a Walmart Supercenter, and major employers like Nike and Amazon at the western edge. Covington Pike is also home to Memphis’s largest concentration of automobile dealerships and related businesses.

 

About UAC:

The UrbanArt Commission (UAC) works to create opportunities for artists and neighborhoods to connect and shape spaces through public art. Since 2002, UAC has managed the City of Memphis’s Percent-For-Art Program, which allocates funds annually to develop public art in connection to capital improvement projects. UAC also facilitates public art projects throughout the city working with various partners and clients to support artists and new experiences with art.

 

SITE SPECIFICS: The selection committee feels sign toppers and/or a potential larger sculptural marker would best serve at these places :

Medical District near Singleton Parkway: Highly visible, central to service and care, and a location that reflects resilience and healing.

Covington Pike and Stage Rd: A busy corridor with consistent traffic that ensures strong visibility and community interaction with the markers.

Near the Welcome to Raleigh Sign: A symbolic first impression for visitors entering the city.

Austin Peay Highway: A major connector that reflects movement and accessibility across Raleigh.

 

SCOPE OF WORK

UrbanArt Commission (UAC) is partnering with The City of Memphis to commission a series of small, gateway makers. Selected artists will be commissioned to create designs only, which should be free-form and flowing to be printed on vinyl or fabricated and cut into thin sheet metal. UAC will contract directly with a fabricator to print/fabricate and install the selected artwork. The company will collaborate closely with the selected artist to translate their commissioned artwork. The selection committee expresses an interest in a public art piece that will: 

• Highlight the environmentally conscious and sustainable concepts and amenities of the new facilities through an abstract theme of concepts
• Reference the history of Raleigh, but focus on the future of this community that values families, children, entrepreneurship and growth
• Showcase images of multiple generations from youth to seniors
• Include themes of family, sports, unity, restoration, positivity, community, and respect 
• Reference the history of Raleigh, but also focus of the future of this community that values families, children, entrepreneurship and growth 
•  Consider existing nearby public art and the design

The selection committee will select four finalists for the installation based on their portfolio, application materials, professional qualifications, and demonstrated ability to meet deadlines. The commissioned artist(s) will be selected based on the strength of their proposals, which will be presented to the selection committee.

UAC is committed to equity and inclusion in our work, both in the artists and organizations supported through the development of public art. UAC is especially interested in applications from artists who have not previously received public art commissions. People of color, differently-abled persons, indigenous peoples, LGBTQ+, seniors, and women are strongly encouraged to apply.  

 

FINALIST REQUIREMENTS

Each of the three finalists will be asked to prepare a schematic design or mockup, followed by a presentation to the selection committee. Each finalist will receive a $500 honorarium for an original design developed specifically for the site. 

 

DESIGN FEES 

One artist will receive up to a $4,000 design stipend for commissioned artwork with final fabrication costs handled by UAC. 

 

SELECTION COMMITTEE

Jasmine Moore- Raleigh District Art Board :  Committee Member  

Nakia Carrial - Community Advocate

Cameron Johnson - 

Katie Jones- Artist Rep

TBD, City Engineering Representative (non-voting)

 

PROJECT TIMELINE

Thursday, October 23rd, 2025                 RFQ released 

Tuesday, November 11th, 2025                UAC Information Session

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025          RFQ deadline 

Monday , December  8th, 2025               Notify finalists of RFP invitation

Early 2026                                                 Finalists Presentations & Artist Selection

Fall 2026                                                   Completion celebration

 

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

Please submit the following materials online by following the “Raleigh Markers” link at uacmem.org/calls-to-artists:

• Completed application form
• A typed letter explaining your interest in the project and your general approach/concept to its design and production. Please do not submit design proposals at this point.
• Up to 20 images of past work including title of work, date, medium, budget and project partners, if any.
• Resume or CV, not to exceed 2 pages.
• List of three professional references, including current phone and email.

 

1. To apply to an open Request for Qualifications (RFQ) or Request for Proposals (RFP), go to uacmem.org/calls-to-artists. Follow the Raleigh Markers link to view more details.
2. Clicking on the Submit button will redirect you to our Submittable page, which contains all of our current open opportunities. Click the Submit button next to the opportunity that you wish to apply for, or if you are already within an opportunity, scroll down to the Create your account / Have an account? Sign in form.
3. If you already have a Submittable account, click the Have an account? Sign in tab to sign in to your account.
4. If you don’t have an account, you must create one to apply. Create your free account by filling out the Create your account form. Fill in all information and click the Create Account and Continue button to continue with the submission process.
5. From there, you will be able to complete and submit your application. You can now use this account login when submitting to all future UAC opportunities. Once you have submitted your application, you will receive a confirmation email that confirms receipt of your full application.

 

For more information about this project, please contact:  

Travis Washington | Program  Manager

901.343.6983 | Travis@uacmem.org 

This RFQ can be found on www.uacmem.org/calls-to-artists 

 

INFORMATION SESSIONS

UAC will host an information session for interested artists on Tuesday, November 11th, 2025. The session will be recorded and a link made available to applicants who are unable to attend during that time. Interested artists who have not completed a public art project previously or not completed a project of this scale are strongly encouraged to reach out to the UAC team in advance of submitting their application. Artists may also schedule a meeting with UAC staff to review their application and portfolio. Appointments are available until 1 week prior to the close of the call to artists. See project contact information in the above section. RSVP here.

 

DISCLAIMERS

UAC is committed to equity and inclusion in our work. People of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, differently-abled and neurodiverse persons, indigenous peoples, youth, seniors, and women are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Applicants will be notified as to the status of their application. Commissioning of artists by UAC and the pursuit of all UAC activities are implemented without preference to racial or ethnic origins, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, disability, or age.

UAC reserves the right to modify this solicitation and to request additional information from participating artists.

UAC reserves the right to accept or reject, at any time prior to the commissioning of a work, any or all proposals when the acceptance, rejection, waiver or advertisement would be in the best interest of the project. 

The staff of UAC will be responsible for all correspondence and communication by and between applicants and members of selection panels. Discussion regarding these projects by and between any applicant and any member of a selection panel outside of regularly scheduled meetings during the selection process may be grounds for the disqualification of the applicant. Such determination shall be at the discretion of UAC.
 

UAC Tiny Gallery | Portfolio Submission

Deadline: Ongoing Submission Portal

Eligibility: Artists interested in the Tiny Gallery exhibition may submit copies of their work and a resume. UAC is not requesting an official proposal; you are simply submitting photos of work you would like to be considered to be displayed in our Tiny Gallery. UAC will contact you for further steps. Artists will be contacted directly if UAC is interested in scheduling an artist for the tiny gallery. Not every artist will be selected, however every artist will be considered for this opportunity. 

 

BACKGROUND
 

About UAC:

The UrbanArt Commission (UAC) works to create opportunities for artists and neighborhoods to connect and shape spaces through public art. Since 2002, UAC has managed the City of Memphis’s Percent-For-Art Program, which allocates funds annually to develop public art in connection to capital improvement projects. UAC also facilitates public art projects throughout the city working with various partners and clients to support artists and new experiences with art.

 

SITE SPECIFICS

UAC is seeking artists and/or artists teams to exhibit their work in our Tiny Gallery at 422 N Cleveland St, Memphis, TN 38104. This is an opportunity for local artists. This initiative is designed to support and showcase the creativity of our artistic community. 

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
 

Please submit the following materials online by following the link at uacmem.org/calls-to-artists:

• Completed application form
• A typed letter explaining your interest in the call and your general approach/concept for the exhibition. (2-6 sentences)
• More than 3 but limited to 20 images of exhibition-ready work, including title of work, date, medium, budget, and dimensions.
• Résumé or CV, not to exceed 2 pages.

DISCLAIMERS

THIS IS NOT AN APPLICATION.

 

UAC is committed to equity and inclusion in our work. People of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, differently-abled and neurodiverse persons, indigenous peoples, youth, seniors, and women are strongly encouraged to apply. 

 

Applicants will be notified as to the status of their application. Commissioning of artists by UAC and the pursuit of all UAC activities are implemented without preference to racial or ethnic origins, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, disability, or age.

 

UAC reserves the right to modify this solicitation and to request additional information from participating artists.

 

UAC reserves the right to accept or reject, at any time prior to the commissioning of a work, any or all proposals when the acceptance, rejection, waiver or advertisement would be in the best interest of the project. 

 

The UAC team will be responsible for all correspondence and communication by and between applicants and members of selection panels. Discussion regarding these projects by and between any applicant and any member of a selection panel outside of regularly scheduled meetings during the selection process may be grounds for the disqualification of the applicant. Such determination shall be at the discretion of UAC.