Community Murals at Eureka Park Recreation Center - Roanoke, VA

Calling all artists and visionaries! The Eureka Park Recreation Center is excited to announce a call for submissions for a two-part mural project that celebrates the spirit, history, and diversity of the Northwest Roanoke community.

Location: Eureka Park Recreation Center, 1529 Carroll Ave NW, Roanoke, VA 24017

Mural Completion Date: Begin installation no earlier than March 1, 2026, and complete no later than April 30, 2026.

The exact scheduling is dependent upon building contractor’s substantial completion timeline, and will be finalized with the artist and project team after selection.

Components

This project includes:

• Indoor Mural – A painted mural located inside the Recreation Center will enliven the space with themes of unity, resilience, and community pride. The indoor mural extends across three walls—one in the front lobby area and the other two wrapping a corner of the community multi-purpose room (see attached building plans for reference; mural locations are highlighted with red). The rooms can have distinct designs, or a single design that bridges both spaces, but the color palette must be unified. The indoor mural piece(s) is intended to be a permanent installation.

• Outdoor Panels – Four digitally rendered designs will be printed on stretched, anchored vinyl panels for exterior installation. The building has a series of eyelet anchor bolts incorporated into the concrete pier structures to anchor the artwork. These panels should complement the indoor mural, extending its themes and palette into the public-facing outdoor space. Because of the building design, large portions of the interior murals will be visible from the exterior through the glass front wall of the building (see attached building renderings) where abstract brightly colored pattern areas indicate mural surfaces). These panels should be considered when planning the designs as a unified collection. The outdoor panels are intended to be a 3-5 year installation, with future calls rotating in new pieces reflecting the same prompt to create a design in conversation with the permanent indoor murals.

Together, these works of art will reflect the strength of the Melrose-Rugby neighborhood, honor the legacy of Eureka Park, and serve as a vibrant reminder of community pride for generations to come.

About Eureka Park

Eureka Park Recreation Center has long been a gathering place for residents of Northwest Roanoke. The original structure was built in 1965, and this is the first major renovation and addition to that facility. Surrounded by one of the city’s strongest tree canopies, the park has been a hub of neighborhood life, recreation, and resilience. It reflects the strength of a community rooted in history yet committed to growth, unity, and environmental justice.

During community engagement for the Recreation Center renovation, one of the consistent priorities heard from community members was the need for vibrant colors and culturally relevant public art pieces. This project will build on that legacy by embedding artwork that reflects the voices, history, and cultural richness of the surrounding neighborhood.

About Roanoke and its Northwest Neighborhoods

Roanoke is a mountain city and hub for innovation. Offering miles of trails, parks within walking distance, a vibrant downtown, and friendly neighborhoods with character, Roanoke is the perfect place to live, work, and play. 

Located between Southwest Virginia's scenic Blue Ridge Mountains and the Virginia Alleghany Highlands, the City of Roanoke offers world-class outdoor recreation activities and was recently awarded the elite IMBA Silver-Level Mountain Biking Ride Center status. For more information about Roanoke's numerous parks and recreational activities, please visit the Play Roanoke Parks and Recreation website. The City is also among one of the few metropolitan areas that sits beside the Blue Ridge Parkway - one of the most popular attractions in the National Parks System. 

Read more city description and find more resources at www.roanokeva.gov.

Roanoke is enriched with beautiful natural scenery, a strong sense of community, and many distinct neighborhoods, each with its own unique character. The neighborhoods extending to the northwest of Roanoke’s downtown core are a diverse mix of residential, commercial, and light industrial uses. It primarily includes zip codes 24012, 24016, and 24017.

In Roanoke, neighborhood urban renewal projects of the mid to late 20th century were focused on the African-American neighborhoods in northeast and northwest Roanoke adjacent to downtown. All told, 83 acres were cleared for Interstate 581, the Civic Center, Post Office, Coca-Cola plant, and other commercial and industrial uses. No houses were built back in the area forcing residents to relocate to other parts of the City, primarily in the northwest sector. Residents lost wealth in the form of home equity, as homes were purchased at low dollar amounts and displaced residents were resettled, often in rental units or public housing.

Learn more about the impacts of urban renewal on Northwest Roanoke in City Plan 2040’s interwoven equity goals.

Today, American Community Survey data of the U.S. Census describe the 24017 Zip Code population as:

    - 59% Black/African American, 24% White, 10% two or more races, with diversity increasing
    - Median Age of 37 years
    - Poverty Rate of 25.6%
    - Median Income of $27,000
    - Labor Force Participation of 61%
    - Median Home Value of $140,000
    - Unemployment Rate of 10.5 %

Recent City of Roanoke investments include streetscape improvements, the development of Goodwill Industries of the Valleys’ Melrose Plaza, and emerging revitalization strategies around the plaza and at the historic 11th Street Northwest small commercial district. Nearby active neighborhood associations include Melrose-Rugby Forum, Fairland Civic Organization, and the Villa Heights and Summit Hills neighborhood groups. Additionally, smaller community organizations organized around community gardens, history, geography, and social justice foster a vibrant community of active residents.

With the August 2025 grand opening of Melrose Plaza’s hub of culture, food, wellness, and education the upcoming relocation of the Harrison Museum of African American Culture at the Plaza; continued city investments in parks, street improvements, and community amenities; and renewed interest in neighborhood organizations surrounding the Melrose/Orange Avenue and the Lafayette Boulevard/Cove Road corridor are a focus of renewed civic energy.

Through neighborhood arts efforts including the City’s artist in residence program, the Daisy Art Parade and activations strategy, and the Arts Connect Neighbors catalog strategy, residents are increasingly partnering in “creating every day the place we want to be,” using the arts to enrich, advocate, and celebrate.

Community engagement leading to the development of this call included arts outreach and activities led by Artist in Residence Robyn Mitchell with neighborhood guidance summarized throughout this call. We envision the work of the selected artist as a continuation of this strong community engagement, helping to lead our community with another collaborative step in investing in Northwest Roanoke’s future and serving Roanoke residents.

Mural Concept
We envision artwork that will:

• Reflect the vibrancy of Northwest Roanoke
• Honor the history of the neighborhood and Eureka Park
• Celebrate community unity and cultural diversity
• Inspire collaboration and pride among residents
• Highlight nature, resilience, and environmental justice

The indoor mural and outdoor panels should be visually connected, creating a unified artistic experience that reflects both indoor gathering and outdoor presence.

Specifications

Indoor Mural

• Must be executed directly on the designated interior wall of the Recreation Center.
• Exact scale and dimensions will be confirmed with finalists; reference the attached drawings for an understanding of basic dimensions.
  • Drawing: Eureka Park Recreation Center Interior Mural Locations (Plan)
  • Drawing: Eureka Park Recreation Center Interior Mural Locations (Elevation)
• Designs should complement the architecture and public use of the space. These will be high traffic, active spaces, so the installation must be durable in that context.
• The artist has the option to incorporate relief elements, but any such elements must be limited to what standard drywall can accommodate structurally (no retrofitting of the structure is possible).

Outdoor Panels

• Four separate designs (or one super-graphic in four segments) rendered digitally and prepared for high-resolution printing on vinyl panels.
• Each panel will be approximately 14’ W x 18’H.
  • Drawing: Eureka Park Recreation Center Interior Mural Locations (Elevation)
• Panels must be thematically and visually connected to the indoor mural.

Artist Responsibilities

• Furnish all equipment, materials, goods, labor, and services necessary to design, fabricate, and install the indoor mural(s), and prepare outdoor panel files for print.
• Maintain liability insurance for the duration of the project.
• Ensure mural paint and panel designs are durable, weather-resistant, and require minimal maintenance.
• Complete all work by April 30, 2026.
• Be available for a final celebration of the full project to be held [include rough date]
• Actively engage the community through at least three (3) interactive activities such as:
  • Listening sessions
  • Community art workshops
  • Paint days or artist talks
  • Other community engagement, as proposed by the artist

City of Roanoke Responsibilities

• Provide site access and coordinate preparation of mural wall surfaces prior to painting.
• For the interior mural, locally procure any paint supplies and necessary equipment under artist’s guidance.
• Facilitate community engagement opportunities.
• Support project promotion and public relations, including a celebration event at project completion.
• Procure, facilitate printing and install the exterior mural panel graphics.

Additional Resources

Learn more about the Eureka Park Community Center development process.

Learn more about Artist in Residence Robyn Mitchell's work. 

Download this call as a PDF.

Submission Guidelines

Submissions must be made through the Call for Entries system, CaFÈ, at www.callforentry.org no later than 11:59 PM, November 14, 2025. Submitting is free to artists, however, they must first register in the CaFÈ system.

Submissions must include the following:

1. Statement of Interest – Outline your vision for the piece(s), how the design will celebrate the culture of the community, and a connection to community-based art.
2. Description of Concept or Approach– Provide a draft design concept or approach for both indoor and outdoor murals. If the design process is to rely on an initial participatory process, include a detailed description of the community engagement approach including the proposed activities and timeline.
3. Color Palette — All submissions should include a proposed core color palette to inform related interior design choices.
4. Artist Resume/CV – No more than two pages per artist.
5. Work Samples – Photos or links to up to three completed murals or public art projects.
6. References – Contact information for two professional references from the last five years.
7. Insurance Declaration – Proof of liability insurance (or ability to obtain prior to project start).
8. Budget – Detailed budget including artist fees, materials, equipment, fabrication, travel, and installation costs. Please include an estimate of all costs with the exception of the printing of the exterior panels, unless the panels are envisioned as being produced in any other manner than standard outdoor vinyl printing.

The committee is excited to receive submissions by artists from the region, however, submissions are also welcomed from those outside of the area able and eager to engage with the local community in person. Artist groups, collaborations, and individual submissions are all welcome.

Selection Process

The selection process will be coordinated by City of Roanoke Parks and Recreation staff and the Roanoke Arts Commission in partnership with community stakeholders. A panel will review submissions and select up to three finalists who may be asked to, and paid to, refine their concepts. 

Final selection will be based on 

• artistic excellence and merit
• feasibility,
• budget, and
• demonstrated commitment to community engagement.

Let your creativity soar and be part of this exciting opportunity to celebrate Eureka Park as a hub of history, culture, and community pride!