Project Vision
Rather than commissioning a pre-designed mural, this project centers collective authorship and community engagement. The selected artist will facilitate a creative process that centers Latinx voices and invites all participants to:
- Engage with themes of identity, migration, memory, history, and belonging
- Contribute ideas and visual themes that resonate with or respond to Latinx experiences
- Participate in the collaborative design process
- Assist in the painting and realization of the mural
The mural will serve as a lasting visual expression of Latinx presence at Occidental, while also reflecting the broader community’s engagement with and commitment to these histories and cultural contributions.
Artist Role & Responsibilities
The selected artist will:
- Lead a collaborative design process with students by facilitating workshops or creative sessions with students to generate mural themes
- Translate collective ideas into a cohesive mural design
- Mentor students throughout the painting process
- Guide the mural’s execution in partnership with students
Artists should be comfortable working in educational and community settings and committed to mentorship and collaborative art-making. The artist will primarily engage with Occidental College students but faculty and staff will also be invited to participate in the design and painting processes.
Students will be recruited through Professor Cristina Awadalla’s First Year Seminar course, Latinidad & Popular Culture as well as through the Latino Student Union. The project will be advertised across campus with an open invite to the entire campus community.
While the artist will collaboratively design the mural with project participants, the final design will be reviewed and approved by this committee.
Timeline
This will be a multi-month project spanning design development through final installation during the 2026-2027 academic year.
The timeline will be developed in consultation with the selected artist but the aim is for design development to begin and be finalized during the 2026 Fall Semester (August 25-November 30) and for mural completion during the Spring 2027 (January 19-April 28) semester.
Location
Occidental College Library
- Inside the building on the 3rd floor of the Library’s Old Wing, which was inaugurated in 1924.
- The wall is in proximity to the Library’s Imȧgenes Latinas Reading Room, LA Reading Room, and Bill Henry Room as well as down a hall from the Library’s Special Collections and College Archives.
- Artists are welcome to look at the location by visiting the building during open hours.
Dimensions: maximum of 7 ft by 30 ft (210 square feet)
Compensation
Artist compensation: $10,000
Materials will be covered separately and are not included in this fee. Include a proposed budget as part of your proposal.
Proposal Requirements
Interested artists should submit:
- Portfolio
- Images of past mural work (especially community-based or collaborative projects)
- Statement of Experience (max. 250 words)
- Description of prior work in community-engaged or participatory mural projects
- Engagement Proposal (max. 250 words)
- A brief outline of how you would:
- Collaborate with Latinx students
- Facilitate idea generation
- Involve students in the painting process
- Engage the broader Occidental community
- Proposed Budget
- Identify necessary materials, cost, and use/justification.
- While you will not be expected to source the materials, you will be asked to identify the materials and vendor. An Oxy staff member will be responsible for sourcing the materials.
Selection Criteria
A rubric for selection will be based on the project vision articulated above.
In addition, we are especially interested in artists who:
- Have experience with community-based art practices
- Prioritize collaboration over top-down design
- Have worked with youth and/or student communities
- Are excited about mentorship and collective creation
