FRISCO, Colo. — The Town of Frisco is searching for an artist to paint a mural in a popular pedestrian tunnel that people use to get to recreation and activities.
The tunnel goes under Highway 9, and connects the County Commons on the south side of Frisco to the Peninsula Recreation Area, a popular spot for mountain biking and snow tubing.
The Frisco Arts and Culture Committee is looking for an artist to paint the tunnel's two facades and interior, which is made from corrugated metal. In all, the artist would paint nearly 6,000 square feet.
"I think little things like this help foster a sense of community," committee member Jamie Callahan said. "It becomes a touchstone if it's done correctly, and I certainly plan on it being done correctly."
Callahan said Frisco is full of art and culture. He hopes projects like this will show that to people who visit from out of town.
"Hopefully that leads to other things that we can do around town," Callahan said. "Doesn't have to be visual art, it can be a lot of other mediums. But then over time, I would like Frisco to be known as a place with a deeper culture than just a tourist town that you come in and leave."
The town's criteria for selecting the design include suitability of the design for the site, aesthetic quality, interest and appeal for all ages and quality of the artist's previous works.
The town will pay the selected artist $20,000 to $30,000 to cover expenses associated with this project.
Artists who are interested in painting the mural should follow the instructions listed here by 5 p.m. March 15. Those instructions include:
- One to three conceptual renderings of the proposed artwork.
- Two to six links to examples of their completed work that depict the artistic style that they intend to use for the project.
- A one-page letter describing their experience with large-scale murals and why this project interests them.
After the deadline, the committee will review the applications and select a finalist. FACC will meet with that finalist in Frisco to finalize the mural concept and details. The town will then submit it to the Colorado Department of Transportation for approval. Pending that approval, they hope the mural will be installed by late summer or early fall.
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