RFQ: Connect Highstar Exterior Mural

Budget: $7,500.00
Deadline: Monday, October 28, 2024, 5:00pm 
Location: Connect Highstar, 6440 Hillcroft Avenue, Houston, TX 77081
Eligibility: Open to Artists residing in Houston/Harris County
Apply: www.publicartist.org
Contact: piper@piperfaustpublicart.com 

Overview 
Connect Community invites artists to submit qualifications for a mural at the newly developed Connect Highstar in Houston’s Gulfton/Sharpstown neighborhood. The mural will be featured on the exterior of a multifamily building at ground level. This development includes a 77-unit housing project and a Textile Lab & Entrepreneurship Center, which will provide manufacturing, business development, and educational opportunities for residents, fostering economic growth and community empowerment.

Scope of Work 
We are seeking an artist to create a site-specific exterior mural that captures the essence of the rich character of the Gulfton/Sharpstown community. The mural should thoughtfully reflect the area’s diverse history, culture, and identity, while also aligning with the project’s goals of fostering economic development and community empowerment. Artworks that are sensitive and responsive to the local narrative, providing an authentic and inclusive representation of the community, are highly encouraged.

The mural faces Highstar Drive and is 25 feet long x 12 feet high on the ground floor of the Textile Lab & Entrepreneurship Center. Additionally, the artist may paint the 1-foot-4-inch pilasters on the left and right sides. These pilasters project 2 feet from the primary mural area and return 8 inches on each side. The solid metal door and frame should be incorporated into the mural composition as well. 

The surface is a smooth, finished concrete with a Grade A finish, without any primer or sealant.

The artist is required to submit the paint brand and formulation for review and approval. Lastly, the artist should apply a clear UV sealant over the mural and provide the brand and formulation for approval.

Eligibility
This opportunity is open to artists and artist teams over 18 years of age residing and working in Houston/Harris County. Priority will be to artists living and working within the Gulfton and Sharpstown community. Immigrant or refugee artists with a working portfolio demonstrating cultural diversity will be considered a plus but not a requirement. Experience painting on concrete walls or other concrete surfaces is highly preferred.  

Budget
The commission budget is $7,500.00 inclusive of all work including, but not limited to, artists’ fees, final design, wall prep as necessary, insurance costs for the project, studio and project administration, travel, all materials, installation, graffiti coating, and required documentation.

Application Requirements
Please submit the following to PublicArtist.org by Monday, October 28, 2024, 5:00pm 

1. Letter of Interest (1,000 words max) Outline your vision for how the mural will respond to the site’s context and community. Artists should also demonstrate their ability to successfully complete a project of this scale, including previous relevant experience, technical expertise, and familiarity with large-scale public art installations. If you have specific ties to Gulton/Sharpstown please describe that relationship. 
2. Resume or CV (2 pages max) 
3. Up to 15 digital images of completed commissions/artwork. Images should include information about the artwork including, title, year completed, location, dimensions and budget (as applicable).
4. Two (2) academic or professional references. References will only be contacted if the artist is selected to move forward in the process.  

Selection Process
Representatives from Connect Community, Brinshore Development, Metalab Architecture, and Piper Faust Public Art will review the submissions and select a finalist to create a final design. 

Timeline
All dates are subject to change.
RFQ Release                                                    Friday, October 4, 2024
RFQ Deadline                                            Monday, October 28, 2024, 5:00pm 
Stakeholder + Community Review             November 2024
Finalist Notified                                              Friday, November 22, 2024
Contract Executed                                          December 2024           
Design Development                                      December 2024 – February 2025
Painting                                                            February 2025
Completion                                                      March 2025 

About Connect Community 
Connect Community, a non-profit community development organization affiliated with the national Purpose Built Network, focuses on four priority areas: Cradle to Career Education; Health and Wellness; Economic Vitality; and Mixed-Income Housing. Currently, construction is underway for Connect Highstar, a 77-unit multifamily development, strategically located adjacent to Legacy Community Health, Baker Ripley, and the City’s SW Multi-Service Center.. To foster economic development within housing, Connect has initiated the Common Threads campaign to raise funds for the construction, build-out, and initial operations of the Textile Lab & Entrepreneurship Center. 

Connect Community is uniquely positioned to act as the central hub for this initiative, having already established trust within the Gulfton community, and being a valued partner for the broader nonprofit sector, local employers, government entities, and influencers in Houston's innovation ecosystem. Furthermore, the Textile Lab is expected to attract visitors to the neighborhood, offering opportunities to witness the manufacturing process, participate in classes, and support local businesses through shopping and dining.

About The Textile Lab & Entrepreneurship Center
The Textile Lab & Entrepreneurship Center will be a 9,000-square-foot, high-tech facility offering manufacturing, production, and business development support for 800 residents annually. Its mission is to foster local economic growth, provide flexible work opportunities, and create pathways to middle-income wages. The center will advance equity by engaging marginalized populations, support local entrepreneurs, and supply skilled workers for Houston's small-batch manufacturers. It will also serve as a collaborative space for innovators in the textile industry to develop new products and startups.

Neighborhood Profile
Sharpstown/Gulfton is a culturally diverse, international community with over 50 languages spoken and is home to over 55,000 residents. Large apartment complexes dominate the area’s landscape along with scattered commercial and light industrial uses. Most of the area was originally developed as a rural subdivision called Westmoreland Farms. The large acreage parcels and widely-spaced grid pattern of roads made it possible for very large apartment complexes to be built in the area starting in the 1960s.

Often described as the Ellis Island of current time, Gulfton (the eastern side of Hillcroft) is the most densely populated community in Houston, with about 90 apartment complexes and more than 15,000 units and 71 percent Hispanic residents including immigrants from Mexico and Central America. Although traditionally a Salvadorian and Mexican neighborhood, many immigrants have begun coming from different Latin-American and Middle Eastern countries.

Contact
For questions and/or more information, please contact: 
Piper Faust
piper@piperfaustpublicart.com