SawMural! Mini-Mural Festival

The Public Art Urban Enhancement Division invites greater Albuquerque area (Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia counties) artists to apply for consideration to create a mural for the inaugural year of the SawMural! Mini-Mural Festival. This will be a project managed by the City of Albuquerque Public Art Urban Enhancement Division.  

SawMural! Mini-Mural Festival is a public art and creative workforce development initiative that will transform a 1,000-foot segment of the Rail Trail into a vibrant open-air gallery.

LOCATION/CONTEXT: 

The Public Art Urban Enhancement Division invites greater Albuquerque area (Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia counties) artists to apply for consideration to create a mural for the inaugural year of the SawMural! Mini-Mural Festival. This will be a project managed by the City of Albuquerque Public Art Urban Enhancement Division.  

SawMural! Mini-Mural Festival is a public art and creative workforce development initiative that will transform a 1,000-foot segment of the Rail Trail into a vibrant open-air gallery.

The Rail Trail is a 7-mile urban multi-use pathway that will connect downtown Albuquerque to nearby neighborhoods, cultural destinations, and entertainment districts. The Rail Trail is a transformational initiative that will enhance connectivity, promote economic growth, and celebrate the city’s diverse cultural heritage. The completed ¼ mile Sawmill segment of the Rail Trail sets the tone featuring infrastructure inspired by the area’s lumber yard industrial past to create a corridor that connects people, neighborhoods, amenities, and stories.

The east side of the Sawmill segment presents a significant opportunity for a mini mural festival that makes use of City owned outdoor exhibition frames for a visually impactful open-air gallery that will be installed in 2027.

PROJECT INTENT/THEME: 

The SawMural! Review Committee seeks up to twenty (20) artists to create Mini-Murals for the first year of the SawMural! Mini-Mural Festival to take place in 2027. An art selection committee comprised of arts professionals, community partners, and City representatives will review submissions to identify artists who will receive a commission to create original, mini-mural works on 48-inch by 72-inch panels. These panels will be framed in city owned Taycar outdoor exhibition display frames which will be installed along the trail corridor, creating a dynamic visual experience that encourages pedestrian activity, cultural tourism, and community engagement.

Up to three of the final mini-murals may be selected to become part of the Albuquerque Public Art Collection. A cash award will be provided to the top three designs selected.

SITE: 

The east side of the Sawmill Segment Trail between Bellamah Ave. NW, and Mountain Rd. NW, is approximately 1,000’ long, 3.5’ wide, and is composed of levelled decomposed granite. There is no infrastructure such as lighting, emergency call centers, seating, boulders, trees, railroad ephemeral, or other forms of decorative landscaping as there is on the west side of the trail. The east side of the trail is the perfect location for an artistic intervention that does not require surface penetration.

BUDGET: 

Compensation is allocated at $4,000 per selected mural artist or artist team.

PROJECT TIMELINE

• September 2026: Post RFQ for artists 
• November 13, 2026: Artist applications due
• December 2026: Artists notified
• January - April 2027: Design, development, and fabrication of mural panels
• May 2027: Panels installed + SawMural! Festival
• May 2027-August 2027: Murals on view

MEDIA/STYLE: 

Each selected artist, artist team, or community organization will be provided with a 48 in (H) x 72 in (W) marine grade plywood panel. Mural subject and style are open to the artists’ interpretation. Artworks must be accessible and appropriate for a broad, multi-generational, and diverse public audience. Artworks must be two-dimensional. No electricity will be availability for lighting of works.

Proposals for works of art that include subject matter such as the apparent representation of violence, inappropriate nudity, denigration of individuals or cultures, desecration of significant cultural symbols, political or religious speech, will be reviewed for their appropriateness for public display. 

APPLICATION PROCESS: 

This is a citywide call restricted to artists that reside in the greater Albuquerque area (Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia counties). Applications will be submitted online via CaFÉ (Call for Entrée). Proof of residency will be required for the finalists selected. The SawMural! Review Committee will jury and recommend selections to the full Arts Board. See below for required materials.

SELECTION PROCESS AND CRITERIA: 

The SawMural! Review Committee will select applications based on the selection criteria listed, through a fair and open competition.

The selection criteria shall include, but is not limited to:

• Demonstrated artistic quality (use of media, unique vision, quality of craftsmanship)
• Artists’ familiarity with Albuquerque’s Sawmill trail and the surrounding communities.
• The professional qualifications of the artist demonstrated by the supporting materials.
• Ability to create proposed design within the $4,000 fabrication/installation budget.

ELIGIBILITY: 

Legal residents of the greater Albuquerque area - defined as Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia counties - are eligible to submit. 

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: 

The application, images and other required materials must be submitted electronically via CaFÉ (Call for Entrée), by 11:59 pm on Friday, November 13, 2026.

QUESTIONS/FOLLOW UP:   

Questions about the project may be directed to Christine West, Project Coordinator and contractor for the City of Albuquerque, Public Art Urban Enhancement Division, (713) 305-7641 or email: christinejw@designsw.com 

Please note that staff support for technical or submission inquiries will no longer be available starting at 12:00 PM (noon) on Friday, November 13, 2026. After this time, applicants will be responsible for resolving any potential issues on their own. There will be no exceptions made for late submissions. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete and submit well in advance.

REQUIRED MATERIALS:

Artist applicants interested in applying must submit the following items to be considered for one of the finalists:

1. A cover letter briefly discussing interest in the project. Not to exceed 500 words.
2. A current resume including statements regarding your artwork/art education and past work, etc.
3. Up to 7 images of other works of art demonstrating the artist’s style and ability to fabricate and install a 4’ x 6’ mural.
4. An image key, clearly labeled with your full name and a numerical listing for each image, the title of the work, the media, dimensions, and year of completion of the work.

This online application process requires that all application images and materials be submitted in digital format. The use of AI as a tool to create any images submitted must be declared in the image key. 

Do not submit a proposed design, as they will not be shown to the committee. This is a Request for Qualifications based on artistic style and approach.

DEADLINE: 

The application, images and other required materials must be submitted electronically via CaFÉ (Call for Entrée), by 11:59 pm on Friday, November 13, 2026.

This is a citywide call restricted to artists that reside in the greater Albuquerque area (Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia counties). 

Applications will be submitted online via CaFÉ (Call for Entrée) by 11:59 pm on Friday, November 13, 2026. Proof of legal residency will be required for the finalists selected. The SawMural! Review Committee will jury and recommend selections to the full Arts Board.