The RVA Street Art Festival was started in 2012 with the mission of fostering artistic talent in Richmond, bringing color and creativity to the visual landscape, and raising funds and awareness for youth arts programs. Since that time, we have hosted four large scale festivals around the city, working with artists from across the city and across the globe to create hundreds of unique works of art. Our fifth, and possibly biggest event was planned for April of 2020... but then the pandemic hit. We’ve spent the last year trying to find the best path forward for an organization and event that was grounded in the idea of gathering large numbers of people to experience the creation of murals and other public art in ways that engaged viewers and artists. With the world still navigating these uncertain waters, we’re looking for ways to continue to foster public art in Richmond, while ensuring that we do so in responsible and safe ways. 

The RVA Street Art Festival is seeking proposals for the creation of a public art piece in Richmond. We’re looking to provide a $2500 stipend for the creation of a work of public art that will engage, enliven, and benefit the community. Projects should be possible entirely with this grant, and not contingent upon additional funding. Ideally, we are looking to work with new members of our community that we have not had the opportunity to work with in the past. Special consideration will be given to projects submitted by those in the field of education. While the SAF has primarily worked to create murals in the past, this call is open to all forms of public art including murals, installations, performances, etc. 

Budget

$2500

HOW TO SUBMIT

Attach a PDF with a description of your proposed project. This can include a written description (1 page max), imagery depicting the proposed project (up to 3 images), or any other methods of explaining your proposal. 

Eligibility

Anyone over the age of 18 who lives in the Richmond region. You do not need to have completed public works in the past. We are always looking for ways to provide opportunities for artists we haven’t worked with in the past.

Review

Proposals will be reviewed by the SAF board and a group of guest reviewers with experience in public arts.