FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We put a call to artists out every spring. Join our newsletter and follow our social media channels (instagram, facebook) to see when our call goes live.

Currently we are only taking on Colorado Based Artists. This may change in the future so sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date.

Yes, we offer a competitive festival rate of $7.50/sq ft with a supply stipend of $200 - $250 based on the size of the wall. Each artist stipend is paid upfront once all paperwork is filled out and returned.

Yes, we love facilitating first time muralists and providing the stepping stones for more public art! We encourage our newbies to be open and accepting of our constructive support and/or mentorship if FCMP deems it necessary. Mural painting is very different from studio work and FCMP strives to provide the support needed to help each artist accomplish a successful mural. When applying, we ask that you send examples of hand painted art so we can gauge how your skills will scale up.

Yes! With so many walls and such limited wall space and funds, we recognize the competition can sometimes feel fierce. We appreciate artists who continue to apply and are persistent, dynamic, and show us growth over time. Who knows, this year could be the year for you!

Yes, you are more than welcome to apply and show us how your work has evolved since we worked with you last. Though, we do prioritize new-to-us artists as much as possible so the likelihood of painting twice in a short period of time is low.

We strive to give artists full creative freedom, however, FCMP has a strict nondiscrimination clause and will not tolerate any images of violence, racism, sexism, xenophobia, sexually explicit content, and/or hate speech.

With the murals being extremely public artwork please take this into consideration.

We are also not able to include any promotional imagery or words for businesses. This moves your mural into the realm of signage.

Artists will provide: contact information, a cover letter including a brief concept statement and addressing why you are interested in participating in the project, and a portfolio of 3 works. Once selected we will ask for a color mock-up design and assign you to a building.

We do our best to supply ladders and scaffolding, and lifts whenever possible. Let us know your needs when you are accepted to the Mural Project and we will do our best to accommodate. We also have access to projectors, tarps, and roller extender handles that can be loaned as needed.

Fort Collins has several exterior paint stores; Ace Hardware Downtown, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Guiry’s*, Sherwin Williams, and Diamond Vogel.

Jerry’s Artarama is now carrying cans of spray paint. While stock is limited , they are happy to order cans to the store for our artists.

Special Secret: The Larimer County Landfill does supply free paint at the “Hazardous Waste” building.

*Our Guiry’s does not sell art spray paint. We have plenty of suppliers of Rustoleum so bring your adapters if needed.

We currently do not pay for mileage or flights, but we do offer housing with our Board Members for no cost.

Yes. We love hosting collaborative teams who apply together. Note, FCMP pays artists a rate per square foot, not per person.

Depending on the buildings we are working with, you may be placed on a wall by yourself, or on a wall with another artist or two. In this case we encourage dialogue on blending designs/edges, though we do not require this kind of collaboration.

We prioritize new-to-us artists and do allow our board of directors to apply to paint a mural with the caveat of being selected as ‘back up’ muralists in the unfortunate case of selected artists falling through 2 weeks prior to the week of the festival. For more information about this and to see our Non Profit’s bylaws click here.

You can apply, but we need you to be 18 before the start date of The Project. The Project usually takes place in September, specific dates are put out with the Call for Artists every year. You can however apply if you are a team with an Artist over 18.

While we reside in Fort Collins the artwork should reflect you as an artist not Fort Collins. We want to see our artists having fun and pushing their creative boundaries. It is rare as a muralist to get creative freedom so we want to see you taking advantage of it.

Allowing artists to apply after the deadline is not a fair practice that we can support. Please be patient and apply the following year.

While we understand the excitement of designing we encourage you to put your design into writing and wait until you are accepted to render a mock-up. FCMP does not want you spending hours or work on a design you may or may not get paid for.

FCMP is a small nonprofit and we currently do not have the funding to pay a travel stipend. While we recognize that some artists do not require a stipend to travel, it is not equitable to allow those artists to apply without being able to pay a stipend to artists that require it to be able to apply. We do have plans to open it up one day as we recongixe that being able to network outside of your local community is an important part of a muralist’s career growth.

FCMP does the curation for our Walls so no need to design based on the business. In fact, we discourage designing based on the business, because these types of murals are considered signage by the city Fort Collins.

Yes, even when you’re an experienced muralist. We understand that murals are often commissioned art and may not always reflect you as an artist.

Do not send in AI work samples, designs, or mock-ups. We need to see what you personally are capable of as an artist to be able to translate your ability to create a mural. Which is why we ask that most examples of past work be hand-painted. However, we don't mind at all if you use AI for the writing portions, although you should edit it to sound more like your voice.

We set up artists with extra rooms in board member and community member houses. All of our hosts understand that you will be coming and going at unusual hours and need a good shower and comfy bed. We can also help with finding a spot for your camper or camper like vehicle.