The West Hartford Art League has issued a call to artists for a large mural on the side of a Farmington Avenue building.
By Ronni Newton
Public art continues to proliferate throughout West Hartford – murals in particular – and the latest space in line to be beautified is the eastern wall of 977 Farmington Ave., which leads to the parking lot.
The West Hartford Art League has partnered with building owner LaSalle Road Partners II to issue an RFP for a large-scale mural with the theme of an iconic “Greetings from …” postcard welcoming people to West Hartford. The paintable area is 90 feet long and 26 feet high.
Sample mural style. Courtesy of West Hartford Art League
The owners are looking to not only add visual interest to a blank wall, but also to give the property identity and create a unique and recognizable image that adds to West Hartford Center’s charm and liveliness.
Unlike the ArtBarrier Murals which are only in place during seasonal expanded outdoor dining, the new mural will be a permanent fixture.
“’Greetings from West Hartford’ can reflect West Hartford iconic landmarks, community history, the overall cultural landscape, and diversity of the community, etc. The goal is for this mural to serve as a community attraction for residents and visitors. The iconic postcard image can be a starting point but the overall image should reflect West Hartford,” the RPF states.
The budget, according to the RFP, is $16,500, which is inclusive of all materials, supplies, and labor costs for the project.
“We’re very happy to be adding this mural at 977 Farmington Ave to the long list of public art we have been placing throughout West Hartford since 2006,” said Roxanne Stachelek, executive director of the West Hartford Art League. “LaSalle Road Partners II, LLC is looking to add an iconic image to the Center and we can’t wait to see what artists come up with for designs. We will be accepting proposals up until Aug. 26.”
The wall along the east side of 977 Farmington Ave., as viewed from the parking lot, will be the site of a new mural for which an RFP has been issued. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
The ownership of the 977 Farmington Ave. property changed in May 2022 when the original partnership of Corridor Ventures, Rockport Investments, and Tecca Ventures, which purchased this property and several other West Hartford Center Properties from the Sinatro Brothers in 2015 and formed LaSalle Road Partners, sold a 50% share to Laz-Lex West Hartford LLC (principals are Alan Lazowski of LAZ Parking and Marty Kenny of Lexington Partners, owners of multiple other West Hartford properties), forming LaSalle Road Partners II, LLC.
RFP responses are due by Aug. 26, and once all submissions have been made the West Hartford Art League will select three finalists, and from those the final selection will be made by LaSalle Road Partners II in conjunction with the West Hartford Art League.
Criteria wil include:
- Artistic excellence, vibrancy, and originality of the artist’s design
- Appropriateness of the design for ithe proposed site
- Documented experience of the artist in completing similar projects
Interested artists can find the complete RFP on the West Hartford Art League website.
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