New Art in Forest Park
Call for Artists
Mural at Forest Park’s sports courts
The City of St. Louis and Forest Park Forever are commissioning an artist to create a mural on the exterior walls of Forest Park’s racquetball courts, which are adjacent to the basketball and handball courts. All three sport courts are located north of the Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center, 5595 Grand Drive 63112.
Up to three (3) finalists will be selected and paid a $2,500 stipend to develop a concept design for this opportunity. The budget for the final mural is not to exceed $115,000.
The execution of the mural will be in the spring of 2026. For more information on the project and how to apply, see below. Submissions are due September 15, 2025 and must be received through this online form.
Formal Submission
The only way to submit your application and support materials is through the online form in the Call for Artists below. Do not send specific proposals or concept designs at this time. Only finalists will be asked to create for this opportunity.
Click the image. The Call for Artists will open in a new tab.
Click the image. The Call for Artists will open in a new tab.
Questions
The only way to submit your application and support materials is through the online form in the Call for Artists above.
Project & Application: Email questions to art@viapartnership.com by 5:00 p.m. CDT on September 8, 2025.
Responses to all questions will be posted here by 5:00 p.m. CDT on September 10, 2025.
Submission platform: Visit https://zealous.co/help for technical questions about the submission process platform.
Digital Informational Workshop
In partnership with the City, Via Partnership and Forest Park Forever held a digital informational workshop in August. Our team offered a high-level project review and how to use the submission platform.
Below, find the passcode and link to play the Zoom recording of the informational workshop:
Passcode: QJt*y4wu
Zoom link to workshop recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/M9B60RhMIAik6L4_j4bY8HziiPn9fvpa5vN7xSmOrhhj7Ie2Sh-mg0vBZSt3CDNm.-JxtvlULZFolRsjj
Scroll to the bottom of this page or click here to review the answers to questions asked during the informational workshop.
Q&A from artist informational workshop Zoom on 8.20.25
Are there any other works of public art in the area the mural might be in conversation with?
A. There are no works of public art in the immediate area. To see information about other public art in Forest Park you can visit this url: www.forestparkmap.org/#statues-and-monuments. Note – there is a map and interpretative panel kiosk at The Nick in the project vicinity.
Can the handball courts be painted?
A. No. The handball courts were damaged during the May 16 tornado and are undergoing repairs.
Will the racquetball courts be closed during the installation?
A. Our preference will be not to close the courts. It would be possible to close 1 or 2 of the courts temporarily while you are painting around the north or south side of the building.
What are the dimensions of racquetball court walls?
A. The east and west walls are 83'-4" long x 20' high. We are working on getting measurements for the north and south sides.
Would it be appropriate or expected that an image of Nicholas Booker to be included in the design??
A. It is not expected. We would welcome artists taking inspiration from Nick’s love of Basketball, sports, and Forest Park.
Should sports be the inspiration / driver for the piece?
A. Please refer back to the goals for the project. Sports and recreation are a starting point for inspiration, but it is not expected that the artwork has to be a representational depiction of sports.
Is there a way to stage and secure materials and equipment on the project site?
A. Yes. We have different options for storage and will work with the selected artist to find a space that meets their needs.
Parking is far away, is it possible to get a vehicle on the site / closer to site?
A. Yes. We have service driveway that can be used and/or find a space close to the site where a vehicle can be parked during installation.
Are there any paints / materials specified or not desired for this project?
A. We will be looking to the selected artist to make a recommendation and are open to different paint and material options but will be mindful of durability, ease of maintenance and lightfastness.
Can you affix materials to the walls?
A. We are open to ideas. We would just want to make sure that any attachments were durable, safe, easy to maintain, and not impact the integrity of the building/walls.
Does the existing landscaping need to be protected / maintained?
A. Not necessarily, this can be discussed further with the finalists.
Will security be on-site to complete work at night?
A. During the spring, summer, and fall there is security on-site from 4-10pm while the courts are open and in-use. If supplemental security is needed on a short-term basis, that is something we can possibly work through with the selected artist.
Does the Park own the reproduction rights to the image or does it remain with the selected artist?
A. The contract language is being finalized, but in general the City and Forest Park Forever would have the right to use the image for non-commercial purposes (website, brochure, maps, promotional materials, etc.) and would reserve the right to license the image for commercial purposes.
Is standard liability insurance acceptable or will additional insurance be required?
A. The contract language is being finalized but we will be able to share the specific insurance requirements with the finalists so they can take insurance costs into consideration when they are putting together a budget.
Artists with their own equipment / lifts, can they use them for the project?
A. The selected artist will be required to provide their own equipment. The City and Forest Park Forever will have the right to review and approve what equipment is coming on-site.
Will you be able to provide cones, tape, barriers to mark off the site.
A. For now, I would assume that those would come out of the art budget. We can get more specific information about what kind of support and materials that the City or Forest Park Forever can provide in the finalist phase of this process.
Can you submit artwork that is on canvas?
A. Yes. Please feel free to submit work that is on canvas or any other non-mural artwork if you feel it demonstrates your capabilities or your ability tocreate a work that responds to the goals of this project.
Works of art outside of the US, can they be submitted with qualifications?
A. Yes
If the budget or cost of an artwork I am submitting isn’t relevant, do I need to list it?
A. You do not need to, but it doesn’t hurt. If there were special circumstances related to the budget, you can explain. Asking about the budget is a way for the Selection Panel to know if you have experience managing projects with a comparable budget size.
If an artist has a piece installed over multiple walls/surfaces, should a composite of the entire piece be submitted or submit each wall/surface as a separate file?
A. You can submit up to 10 images. You are welcome to share multiple images of the same project. If you decide to include composite images, keep in mind that the Selection Committee will be looking at your work on a computer screen, so you don’t want to make the individual images too small.