Call for Artists – Phil Hartman Mural
Request for Qualifications: City of Brantford
Submission Deadline (extended): July 29, 2024 (4:30 pm) EST
Award: $70,000 (inclusive of HST)
Call for Artist Opportunity Overview
The City of Brantford seeks to commission a muralist or mural artist collective to create a mural artwork on the east wall of the Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts building (88 Dalhousie St., Brantford) to honour the late Phil Hartman, a well-known and tremendously gifted screen and voice actor, comedian, screenwriter and graphic designer. The selected muralist will be responsible for hosting and facilitating up to two community consultations (in partnership with the City of Brantford) with community stakeholders on themes reflecting the work and life of Phil Hartman. Mural production is scheduled for late summer/early fall of 2024.
Eligible artists are invited to submit expressions of interest and qualifications to this call.
The commissioned artist will be selected through an open, two-stage process. The project budget of $70,000 CAD (inclusive of HST) includes all costs directly associated with the artwork: including taxes, artist fees, production, materials, equipment rental, installation, and other professional services, insurance, permits, travel and other incidental and production expenses.
Up to three (3) artists will be shortlisted and paid $750.00 CAD (inclusive of HST) each to create detailed proposals that include proposed designs.
Community and Project Background
The City of Brantford is home to over 104,000 residents and is located in Ontario, Canada, founded on the Grand River in Southwestern Ontario. It is surrounded by the County of Brant and Six Nations of the Grand River. The City is conveniently located 30 minutes away from the Hamilton International Airport and is situated along the Hamilton- London-Windsor corridor. Brantford is home to many other famous faces in history, such as Alexander Graham Bell, Lawren Harris, Pauline Johnson, and Wayne Gretzky.
Phil Hartman (nee Hartmann) was born in Brantford in 1948. He is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and graphic designer. Hartman spent his formative years in Brantford before moving to the United States. There he went on to co-produce and work on the Pee-wee Herman Show and star on Saturday Night Live for eight seasons, which earned him an Emmy win during his time on the show. Hartman was also the voice behind Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure on the Simpsons, and starred on the NBC NewsRadio sitcom, along with many smaller supporting acting roles.
A long-time victim of domestic violence, Hartman was killed by his wife, who then committed suicide herself in 1998. His death was mourned as great loss to the comedy world. He was inducted into the Canada and Hollywood Walks of Fames in 2012 and 2014.
This mural is to honour and celebrate the life and work of Phil Hartman through a multitude of different iconography and stories, from his childhood in Brantford through his years in Hollywood, and beyond.
We are no longer accepting applications for this project.
