Oceanside CA— MainStreet Oceanside has issued a call for artists to create a public art mural in Downtown Oceanside for its Oceanside Mural Initiative (OMI). Established in 2016, the OMI aims to transform Downtown Oceanside into a public art destination through the creation of unique, visually captivating large-scale art. The second of 10 planned OMI installations, the mural will be installed at That Boy Good BBQ and Northern Pine Brewing, 326 N. Horne St. Interested artists are invited to submit work samples for consideration.
The selected artist will be paid $6,000 and will be responsible for all costs associated with the creation of the mural, including materials, rentals, insurance and any fees associated with the installation.
A selection panel of downtown arts leaders, business owners and residents will evaluate prospective artists and their work. The five panelists are Maria Mingalone, executive director of the Oceanside Museum of Art; Kim Millwood, co-owner of That Boy Good BBQ; Anne Ortega, co-owner of Northern Pine Brewery; Peter Grego, professor emeritus of theater; and MaryAnn Thiem, MainStreet Board of Directors vice chair and downtown resident.
“This is an important time as Oceanside continues to embrace and expand art in the community. It’s exciting to be part of this of this public art initiative and the role it plays in the evolving Oceanside art scene,” commented Maria Mingalone.
The panel will invite semifinalists to submit renderings of a mural concept. From these renderings, the panel will then select three finalists based on the following criteria: the design’s ability to visually captivate the viewer, how well it represents Oceanside’s unique and diverse character, and the artist’s technical skill. The community will then have the opportunity to choose the final mural through a public vote.
To be considered, artists must submit an artist profile, their skills and qualifications and three to five artwork samples by Friday, September 14, to gumaro@mainstreetoceanside.com or the MainStreet Office at 701 Mission Ave. Artists do not need to be residents of Oceanside but must have an interest in enhancing the Downtown Oceanside community. Artists do not need to have previous mural experience but are expected to possess the necessary skills and expertise to create a mural. For additional details and requirements, go to www.mainstreetoceanside.com/omicallforartists.
MainStreet Board Chair and OMI panelist Kim Millwood is excited to be part of the mural. “Public art gives the community character and gives muralists an opportunity to beautify our workplace in Downtown Oceanside,” Millwood said.
For future murals, MainStreet continues to ask the community to donate $5 or more via the OMI’s GoFundMe page. MainStreet Oceanside will match total donations up to $10,000 and is halfway toward this goal.
About the Oceanside Mural Initiative:
The Oceanside Mural Initiative (OMI) seeks to install 10 curated public art murals in Downtown Oceanside over three to five years. OMI is a community-driven initiative that will integrate key partners in the Downtown Oceanside area with the objective of making Oceanside a destination for public art. The OMI will create a model by which Oceanside and other communities can fulfill community-driven arts initiatives, act as a medium for arts education and community outreach, and help to define Oceanside as a community whose identity is built upon and driven by the arts. For more information about the OMI, please contact Gumaro Escarcega at 760-754-4512 or gumaro@mainstreetoceanside.com. Donate online at https://www.gofundme.com/oceanside-mural-initiative-2v8h4h4k.