Please note, we will only be selecting artists from the Great Lakes Bay Region in Michigan this year. If you do not live in this area, please refrain from applying.

OUR VISION:

The Art Seen Festival Committee is seeking family-friendly muralists from the Great Lakes Bay Region of Michigan from any artistic style. We are dedicated to furthering the emerging arts scene in our increasingly diverse population, in Midland County, Michigan.

Art Seen Festival seeks to strengthen our Midland County, Michigan, community through vibrant mural making and live music. Accessible public art is a meaningful way to connect people to feel seen, heard, and included. Art Seen Festival is a part of Public Arts Midland, which is a community run initiative of the Midland Area Community Foundation.

Art inspires us and propels us forward while bringing voice to diverse experiences, and people. Public art gives our community a collective voice and a way to express our values while it brings awareness of and beauty to both the physical and cultural landscape of our city. This work aligns with our larger Midland County vision statement which reads, “Midland County: an inclusive community. Together. Forward. Bold. An exceptional place where everyone thrives”.

Community mural making is the Festival’s flagship experience, offering a “paint by number” component to allow community members to leave their mark and contribute to the work while bringing a muralist(s) concept to life. Please keep in mind that the final design will have to be intentionally designed to allow maximum community participation. If there is a feature in the mural the artist wants to paint on their own, that is allowable, but the majority of the design needs to be in the “paint by number” style. 

This year’s mural space is located in the Village of Sanford at Harry’s Sewer at 351 West Saginaw Road, Sanford, MI 48657. 

ENTRY RULES AND REQUIREMENTS:

• Artists must currently live in the Great Lakes Bay Region of Michigan. If you do not live in this region, please do not apply. 
• Entries must be the artist’s original work, where they are the primary artist. First round selection is based on portfolio review, not a proposal specific to the mural site.
• The Mural will be family-friendly and may not depict political, crude, or offensive content. It is recommended that portfolio submissions consider these guidelines. Artists may be disqualified for portfolio submissions that do not adhere to this consideration.
• Artists must submit a minimum of 3 maximum of 10 images of previous mural projects.
• Artists must be at least 18 years of age.
• If accepted, the artist must be available for orientation Friday June 12, actively painting the mural during the festival June 13, and may use Sunday June 14, and Monday June 15, 2026 to complete their work if needed.
• Artists are required to carry their own liability insurance.
• All materials including brushes, rags, tools, paint and scaffolding/ ladders will be provided for use. The mural wall will be cleaned and ready to be painted on. Specific paint colors will be submitted after the winning artist has been selected.
• Artists are responsible for the entire mural execution in the allotted time frame. 
• Artists will collaborate with Parker Lane Art & Design Studio on the community painting portion of the mural.
• Artists are responsible for all travel and food costs.
• If accepted, the artist must be available for orientation and prep on Friday, June 12, is required to be actively painting the mural during the festival on June 13, and should be available at minimum on Sunday, June 14, 2026, to complete the work. June 15 may also be a day to wrap up if needed.

SELECTION PROCESS:

The selection process will have two rounds. The first round will be the festival committee reviewing artists’ portfolios. A small group of artists will be contacted via email if they are selected to continue to round two. At that time they will be offered a $300 stipend per artist to create a proposal specific to the mural site. The second round will be the festival committee reviewing artists’ proposals. If your proposal is selected you will be contacted via email, to set up a time to speak with a representative of the committee to work through final details and finalize contracts. 

All mural proposals must be the original work of the artist in concept, composition, and execution. Artists’ proposals will be selected by a selection panel composed of Art Seen Festival Committee members. Decisions by the selection panel are final and not open to negotiation. Art Seen Festival does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability.

DETAILS:

• The mural site is Harry’s Sewer at 351 West Saginaw Road, Sanford, MI 48657.
• Wall dimensions: 17’ 4” Tall, 36’ 4” wide. The design may cover the door, 2 windows, and may wrap around the corner if the artist so chooses.
• The artist must incorporate the bright existing bright blue of the building into the design somehow, as this will serve as the base color. 
• The building is painted cinder block. 
• Themes to consider for site specific proposals in round two: uplifting, community oriented, building community, strength, joy, hope, bright future, tenacity, resilience.
• The selected artist will receive a $7,500 stipend to complete this mural. Paint will be provided by the festival.

PROJECT SCHEDULE:

• December 1, 2025 – Portfolio submissions open
• February  5, 2026 –  Portfolio submissions close
• February 13, 2026 –  Notifications sent to artists chosen to develop a proposal
• March 6, 2026 – Site specific proposals due
• March 19, 2026 – Notifications sent to artists regarding proposal selections
• June 12, 2026 – Artists welcome, orientation, outline/prep for festival
• June 13, 2026 – Festival painting day
• June 14/15 2026 – Final painting days if needed

HOW TO APPLY:

1. Fill out this form. 
2. Email your 3-10 portfolio images and recent resume to artseenfestival@gmail.com