Pueblo Parks and Rec. seeking artists to paint murals on outdoor basketball courts known as the “Slabs’

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- The City of Pueblo Parks and Recreation Department is requesting proposals from artists or artist teams to design and paint murals on four popular outdoor basketball courts that are located at the Elizabeth Street Parkway.

In Pueblo, the courts are better known as the “Slabs.”

According to the city, the murals will be painted on four, soon-to-be resurfaced courts that are approximately 2,600 square feet each. During the painting process, a specific application process with squeegees and edging tape will be used according to the sports court surfacing industry standards. The city said this standard practice will ensure the murals maintain a high quality for many years to come and the artist’s artwork remains.

Artist applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 3. The artists whose designs are chosen will be compensated with $2,500 per court. Selected design will also receive stakeholder input before being finalized, the city said. In addition, artists will be required to work under the direction of the court resurfacing contractor.

The city also said it is important for artists to remember that the court lines (3-point, free throw, etc.) will still be painted over each mural by the court resurfacing contractor. No logos, religious depictions, or trademark designs may be included in the design. All proposals must be original to the artist or artist team submitting the mural artwork.

To apply, artists and artist teams should submit up to four examples of art that are relevant to this project. Each image should be sent as a separate .jpg or .png file. Each image should be no large than 600 KB. Submitting an image list as a separate .docx or .pdf file and file name, media, and dimensions must be included in the submission. In addition to the artwork, artists or artist teams must include an art resume of no more than two pages, single-sided, providing a description of relevant projects.

Examples should be submitted to the Assistant Parks and Rec. Director, Mike Sexton at msexton@pueblo.us

The four proposals that are chosen will be selected by a team made up of area residents, representatives from the Pueblo Art Alliance, and the Pueblo Parks and Recreation Department. 

Eligibility requirements are only that the artist or artist team must reside in Pueblo County.

The painting of the murals is expected to take place either during fall of this year, or spring of next.

For more information, call (719) 553-2804.