RFQ: Elevating History: A Mural Series from the Living Oral History Project in Ann Arbor, MI
PROJECT 1 :
Theme: Black-owned businesses and commercial street scenes
BUDGET:
$45,000
DEADLINE:
November 10th at 11.59 pm MDT
PROJECT 2 :
Theme: Residential and community life, incorporating a map
BUDGET:
$45,000
DEADLINE:
November 10th at 11.59 pm MDT
PROJECT 3 :
Theme: Civic leadership and the Fair Housing Ordinance
BUDGET:
$50,000
DEADLINE:
November 10th at 11.59 pm MDT
OPPORTUNITY
RFQ: Elevating History: A Mural Series from the Living Oral History Project in Ann Arbor, MI
Budget: $45,000 - 50,000
The Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority (DDA), through its Elevate public art program, is partnering with the Ann Arbor District Library (AADL) and the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County (AACHM) to commission three murals along Ann Street. These murals will honor the area's history as a vibrant center for Ann Arbor’s Black community, businesses, families, and civic leaders. The murals will be located on three prominent downtown sites and aim to restore visibility to a vital history that remains unknown to many today. Artists will draw inspiration from the Living Oral History Project and digital archives, translating this significant history into a compelling mural reflecting one of three site-specific themes:
• Black-owned businesses and commercial street scenes
• Residential and community life, incorporating a map
• Civic leadership and the Fair Housing Ordinance
PROJECT BACKGROUND
Beginning in 2013, the AADL and AACHM partnered to create the Living Oral History Project (LOH), a growing collection of interviews that document what local African Americans witnessed, experienced, and contributed to, building the community in Ann Arbor we share today. The associated LOH Digital Collection extends the archive with over 3,000 historical photographs and news articles from AADL’s Community Collections about major topics featured in the interviews, including Community Centers, Education, Housing, Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Faith. The LOH Walking Tour offers an on-the-ground experience guiding participants through neighborhood locations connected to the stories and archives.
Inspired by the Living Oral History Project and Digital Collection, the DDA joined the partnership for this special public art project to support and visually illuminate the history back into the neighborhood where it originated. These murals will serve as a companion to the LOH Walking Tour, educating the public and visitors about the neighborhood’s influential past. Installed at key sites, the murals aim to reestablish a sense of presence and place within the urban landscape.
As early as the late nineteenth century, Black business owners began operating barber shops on East Ann Street and North Fourth Avenue, and the area grew into a flourishing site for Black businesses. Ann Arbor’s Black population grew from 4.1% in 1940 to 6.7% in 1970, but the city’s neighborhoods remained racially segregated well into the 1960s. Most Black families lived in the area north of downtown, stretching from Kingsley Street to the Huron River and west to Brooks Street. Former residents remember it as a tight-knit community anchored by Jones School, the Dunbar Community Center, and two historically Black churches.
The area where the murals will be installed now includes Community High School (formerly Jones School prior to its closing during desegregation), the Ann Arbor Farmers Market, and many small and unique businesses. It remains a walkable and vibrant district that hosts numerous community events, including the annual African American Downtown Festival. A new housing development and community creative center on Catherine St, Dunbar Towers, just one block down from Ann Street, will be complete in 2026. Inspired by the original Dunbar Center, this development will also promote the history of the area and Ann Arbor’s Black community.
Download Project Images and Site Packet Information
ELIGIBILITY
The city of Ann Arbor is seeking artists or artist teams who can commit to working in Ann Arbor as necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of this project. Any artist or artist team residing in the United States can apply, including applicants currently on a U.S. Visa. Applicants who are on a Visa must be able to legally work in the United States and provide documentation with their application.
Applicants must be over 18 years of age.
TIMELINE
All dates except the submission deadline are approximate, subject to change, and are presented for guidance only.
- Call Submission Deadline: November 10th, 2025 at 11:59pm MTD
- Semi-finalists Selected: Feb 2026
- Semi-finalists Proposals: Artists will be given 6 weeks to develop proposal(s) after notification.
- Finalist Awarded: April 2026.
- Project Completion and Installation: Ann Street will be under construction Summer and Fall of 2026, starting near the parking garage (Project 1) and moving sequentially towards City Hall (Project 2 and 3). The DDA would like to install the murals after construction of each street section is complete.
- Project 1: Installation expected September 2026, dependent on the completed section of Ann Street construction. Installation may move to Spring 2027
- Project 2: Fabrication to be complete in 2026 and installed early 2027 after Ann St construction is complete
- Project 3: Fabrication to be complete in 2026 and installed early 2027 after Ann St construction is complete
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
Please submit the following application requirements. Submissions must be submitted online at CaFE Call for Entry by November 10th 11:59 PM. There is no application fee to apply or use the online application system.
- Letter of Interest: outline your art practice and experience, interest and/or connection to this project, and how you may approach the artwork design and creation. Please indicate if you are interested in being considered for all three Project sites and/or if you have a preference for Project 1, 2, or 3. (3000 character max)
- Resume: Outline your professional experience and accomplishments, maximum of two (2) pages. If submitting as a team, please include resumes for each team member, with each resume not exceeding two (2) pages.
- Artwork Images: selection of ten (10) images representing artworks most relevant to the scope of this opportunity.
- Artist Bio, (2000 character max)
- References: three (3) professional references, including name, affiliated organization (if appropriate), position or title, email address, phone number, and relationship to each reference.
Note: This is a Request for Qualifications; proposals will be required for the semi-finalists.
HOW TO APPLY:
FOR QUESTIONS:
This Call-for-Art is managed in collaboration with the City of Ann Arbor by the A2AC’s Art in Public Program. Please direct your questions to:
artinpublic@annarborartcenter.org or call 734-926-4122