Call for Artists: Ernest Maier Bladensburg Mural
Deadline to Apply: May 10, 2021, 5:00pm
Contact: Marty McGowan, Program Manager, mmcgowan@hyattsvillecdc.org
PROJECT OVERVIEW
On behalf of Ernest Maier, the Hyattsville Community Development Corporation (Hyattsville CDC) is seeking an artist, designer, or team to design and execute a mural upon the southern, street facing wall of the property located at 4602 Annapolis Road, Bladensburg, MD 20710. This project will be conducted in close collaboration with the Hyattsville CDC and Ernest Maier, as detailed further below.
PROJECT BACKGROUND
This project is part of a series of creative place-making enhancements Ernest Maier is pursuing to beautify its Bladensburg properties through the application of public art. For over 80 years, Ernest Maier has been a fixture along Annapolis Road in the Bladensburg community. Throughout that time, its history has been marked by innovative expansions to enable the business to continue to serve its community and its employees. The company has grown from manufacturing cinder blocks in the early years to now producing and distributing a broad range of concrete block and masonry products throughout the region. Ernest Maier maintains its interest in the future of construction—particularly through building more sustainably and resiliently—all while supporting its 400 employees, many of whom live in the Bladensburg community.
As Ernest Maier was growing and evolving on Annapolis Road, the Town of Bladensburg also experienced its own historical progression. The town had served as a key staging area during the War of 1812, but following the post-World War II growth and redevelopment, some of its historic character was starting to fade. Thankfully, through the emergence of a national (and then locally adopted) commitment to historical preservation, attention towards the Town’s heritage resurged. The town has continued to steadily reconfigure through the melding of the new cultures and peoples that joined into the Town. As a majority-minority municipality in a majority-minority county, the Town readily celebrates and promotes the diversity of its populous.
In order to build upon the intricate and interwoven history of its home, Ernest Maier is engaging the Hyattsville CDC to implement a public art program that will contribute to an effort of creative place-making in Bladensburg by celebrating the company’s shared history with the Town.
BUDGET & FUNDING
The selected final artist/team will receive a commission of $17,250. The stipend is to be all inclusive of fees and costs.
The selected artist/team is responsible for maintaining a budget, keeping to the installation/execution schedule, documentation of the executed work, transportation and execution, and insurance.
