Hilltop Community Center Mural RFQ

The City of Wichita invites professional artists and artist teams with experience completing large-scale outdoor murals to submit their qualifications for a $10,000 public art commission for the Hilltop Community Center in Wichita, Kansas. The start of this project is scheduled to begin in Winter of 2025. It is anticipated that the execution of the art will be completed in the Spring of 2026. Emerging artists and artists with a strong public engagement practice are encouraged to apply.

Hilltop Community Center is located at 1329 South Terrace, adjacent to Friendship Park in the historic Hilltop neighborhood.

INTRODUCTION

The City of Wichita invites professional artists and artist teams with experience completing large-scale outdoor murals to submit their qualifications for a $10,000 public art commission for the Hilltop Community Center in Wichita, Kansas. The start of this project is scheduled to begin in Winter of 2025. It is anticipated that the execution of the art will be completed in the Spring of 2026. Emerging artists and artists with a strong public engagement practice are encouraged to apply.

Hilltop Community Center is located at 1329 South Terrace, adjacent to Friendship Park in the historic Hilltop neighborhood.

HILLTOP NEIGHBORHOOD

As thousands of workers came to Wichita to support the war effort at aircraft manufacturers like Boeing, the Federal Public Housing Authority rapidly constructed communities to house them. Hilltop was built in 1941, and its residences were intended to be temporary. For decades, Hilltop was a vibrant community with a strong sense of identity. Following decline and challenges over the next several decades, grassroot efforts are now working towards renewal and revitalization with community-led efforts and dedicated organizations providing support to create a safer, more connected environment for residents.

ART LOCATION

The mural will be painted on the exterior of the Hilltop Community Center. The exterior walls are corrugated metal, painted in white and in good condition. The building dimensions are 200’ x 250’ x 25’.

Please see View Site Details link for site map and images.

ART VISION

The City of Wichita envisions a painted mural that is thematically rooted in today’s active and connected Hilltop community. The artwork for this project should represent the following unique activities and concerns of the neighborhood and its residents:

•Animal advocacy

•Community gardens

•Bee keeping

•History of aircraft workers

•Community celebrations/gatherings

The mural may wrap around the building (not full wall coverage) or may be located on one or more of the exterior facades.

BUDGET

ART BUDGET: $10,000

The art budget is inclusive of all costs and fees for the artist to execute the project from design through site preparation, materials, equipment, and execution. Any installation, if applicable, will be coordinated with the project team and may be a part of the artist fee depending on installation requirements and responsibilities.

PROJECT TIMELINE

•RFQ issued: 10/14/2025

•Artists questions due: 10/27/2025, 4:00 p.m. CST

•Qualifications due: 11/11/2025, 4:00 p.m. CST

•Review of qualifications: 11/17 – 11/28/2025

•Notification of Award: 12/1/2025

•Contract: 12/15/2025

•Presentation to Councils and Boards: February 2026 – April 2026

•Art Fabrication and Installation: May 2026 – June 2026

*All dates are approximate and subject to change.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Applicants will be selected based on a competitive review of the following:

Artistic excellence: demonstrated vision, professional process and presentation, and quality craftsmanship in examples of past work; examples provided should be relevant to how the artist will approach this public art opportunity.

Creative process: examples of past work should illustrate the artist’s experience in large 2-dimensional work; examples should be relevant to how the artist will approach this public art opportunity.

Ability: demonstrated experience in mural art, experience in materials that achieve outdoor durability, delivering contractual milestones, and managing budgets in a timely fashion.

Meaningful relationship of the creative and conceptual aspects of their artistic process with the purpose of this project as expressed in the Letter of Interest (LOI).

QUESTIONS

All inquiries should be emailed to Jana Erwin at jerwin@wichita.gov by 10/27/2025, 4:00 p.m. CST.

Each artist or artist team must submit an entirely digital application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

1.Submit five (5) to ten (10) images of relevant examples of past work (video accepted). Images should represent the artist’s style, format, medium, or breadth of work.

2.Please include an annotated image list for all work examples including scale, budget, medium, 
year installed, and location.

3.Submit a one-page Letter of Interest (LOI) with a brief description of your project approach. 

4.Resume or CV.

5.Three professional references.

The artist or artist team must reside in the Sedgwick County, Kansas. Preference will be given to applicants who live, work, or have a connection to City of Wichita District III. Emerging artists are encouraged to apply.