Submission deadline extended for large-scale art project

Published 9:46 pm Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Suffolk’s Premier Art, Retail and Cultural Initiative has the extended the submission deadline for its large-scale public art project for the Northwestern Train Station, a historic building located on South Main Street.

Submissions are being accepted for 24 pop-up murals that will be temporarily installed over the train station’s window openings. The structure is currently unoccupied, and the 59-by-41-inch windows are boarded with plywood, according to sparcva.com.

The deadline for submissions has been extended from Friday to May 19. Executive Director Carolyn Phillips said that the building was chosen for its historic interest and its proximity to downtown, and that this project will beautify and “activate” the old train station.

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“SPARC has received a lot of interest in this project from local artists and creative individuals through emails, phone calls, and social media,” Phillips wrote in an email. “We’ve received several completed design submissions, and are aware of quite a few more that are in progress to submit by the deadline.”

All artists are welcome to submit designs with any content or color scheme, as long as they are appropriate for public viewing. The SPARC initiative reserves the right to reject any designs that are deemed inappropriate for public viewing.

SPARC, a 501c3 non-profit, is also soliciting individual and business sponsors to select mural designs for this project. Sponsorships for each mural are $500, which will cover the painting supplies as well as a donation for the initiative.

Any individual or group can submit unlimited mural designs for this project with no submission fee. Artists living in or near Hampton Roads are welcome to submit, but individuals under the age of 18 must collaborate with an adult.

All designs and submission agreements are due by May 19, and the designs will be unveiled at a public event in late September.

Permission and support for this project was received from various city departments, including Economic Development, Parks and Recreation, Planning and Community Development and the City Manager’s Office.

Visit sparcva.com/projects for submission criteria. Contact Carolyn Phillips at carolyn@sparcva.com or 338-0812 — email is preferred — for questions about the project and sponsorships.