Call for Mural Proposals - Village of Stratford 250th Celebration Mural

Submissions Due: August 4, 2026

The Marathon County Historical Society along with the CVA, Stratford Area Historical Society and Village of Stratford invites design proposals from mural artists for a site-specific mural. This new mural will be located on the Community Hall building on 118900 Larch Street in Stratford, Wisconsin. A selection committee of Marathon County community members, representing local visual arts and historical organizations, the City of Stratford and other partners will review the applications and select the winning design proposal.

 

Site Specifications and Resources:

Dimensions: Approx. 11' W x 8.5' H

Surface: Primed wooden panel on brick.

 

Timeline:

Call Opens: July 8, 2026

Submissions Due: August 4, 2026 at midnight central time

Notification: Artists will be notified by or on August 14th, 2026

Mural Installation Dates: August - September, 2026

Community Celebration: Following the completion of the mural, there will be a community celebration.

 

A successful mural proposal will meet the following goals:

• Site Specific - A strong mural proposal will be a site-based mural representing the community and local history. To accurately tell the story of Stratford, the mural will focus on several foundational pillars of local history, serving as a visual time capsule of the community's rich heritage. 

• The Mural will be a photo-worthy mural, with clean graphic lines, and be innovative and creative

• Supported by process narrative and description

• Executed to completion by September 30, 2026

• Proposals from experienced Mural Artists with examples of past mural work will be prioritized

• Proposals from Artists living and working in Central WI will be prioritized

 

 Review and Selection: A selection committee of Marathon County community members, representing local visual arts and historical organizations, the City of Stratford and other partners will review the applications and select the winning design proposal.

 

 Payment: Selected artist(s) will receive a stipend of $4,500 for the installation, and rights to the design for publication. Travel costs are not covered. 

 

 Materials and Equipment: Selected artist(s) will be provided all materials. Once selected, artists will work with organizers to ensure individual materials and equipment needs are met.

 

Opportunity Guidelines:

• Each participant may submit up to 3 Design Proposals

• All artists 18 years of age or older with demonstrated experience with large-format artworks may apply

• An itemized budget and material list must be submitted along with proposals

• At this time the CVA only accepts digital proposals, all artists are expected to be able to communicate and share information digitally and that starts with digital show proposals.

• WORK MUST BE ORIGINAL TO THE ARTIST - Original artwork would, for example, be the first version of a painting an artist creates, not any subsequent prints, reproductions, or imitations of the artwork. Artists may use reference photos they took themself, or study from multiple references to create a composition that is unique to the new work

• Submission of this application form constitutes agreement to all conditions listed in this prospectus.

• The Center for Visual Arts and its partners reserve the right to not accept any and all proposals that fail to meet committee expectations.

CV or Artist Resume (this should include a list of past mural projects)

The Call prioritizes proposals from mural artists with past experience.  Images of past murals give us a better understanding of the final Mural.  

Please include an itemized budget:

You may submit up to 3 proposals, with a color sketch of the proposed design(s). They should be scaled and proportioned to the final wall.