Call for Submissions - Murals for Sea Containers in NAC’s new Creative Commons
Call for Submissions
Murals for Sea Containers in NAC’s new Creative Commons
Submission deadline: 30 May 2026 (11:59 PM)
We’re inviting NAC members to submit proposals to be painted on sea containers located in NAC’s new Creative Commons. It’s an opportunity to contribute high‑visibility public art in the NACyard. This space will be home to a community garden, some sculptural works, and film screenings and music festivals such as Freak Fest (14-15 July) this summer. Selected designs will be executed by volunteer painters, so proposals must be practical for painting by non‑professional teams.
Project brief
- Quantity: There are two mural designs being sought, one per container, artists can apply with designs for one or for both
- Location: In the NACyard behind NAC, refer to the image in his call and stop by to take a look
- Final dimensions: The COSCO sea container is 8 ½’ tall and 30’ long; the CHINA SHIPPING sea container is 8 ½’ tall and 40’ long. Exact dimensions will be provided to shortlisted artists
- Theme: Wide open — Artists are welcome to propose original, intriguing themes
- Execution: Designs must be clearly executable by volunteer painters
Fee and payment
- A design fee of $500 will be paid for each selected design (one payment per mural selection). Note: this fee covers the design only; NAC will coordinate volunteer painting and provide basic paint/materials as available. Additional materials or specialized labor must be noted in your plan and will be considered on a case‑by‑case basis.
Submission requirements
Please submit the following as a single PDF (max 10 MB) plus optional image files (JPG/PNG):
- Concept statement (max 125 words) — describe idea, relevance to site/community
- Visuals — one clear colour sketch or rendering per mural (digital mockup; colour required)
- Execution plan (max 200 words) — step‑by‑step method for painting by volunteers (e.g., grid, projection, stencils, colour blocking), estimated number of volunteers, estimated hours/days, suggested tools and paint types, and any safety considerations.
- Materials list — paints, primer, sealant, brushes/rollers, stencils, and any special items. Indicate which items you expect NAC to supply
- Artist CV or bio (max 1 page)
File formats: PDF for full submission; JPG/PNG for images; vector (AI, EPS, SVG) preferred for stencil files upon selection.
Selection and criteria
Submissions will be evaluated by a panel on:
- Originality, community relevance, and visual impact
- Clarity and feasibility for volunteer execution
- Suitability for container scale and outdoor exposure
- Completeness of execution plan and materials list
Notification, timeline, and painting
- Submission deadline: 30 May 2026 (11:59 PM)
- Notification to selected artists: 5 June 2026
- Painting scheduled: mid-June 2026 (exact dates to be coordinated). Selected artists are asked to be available for consultation and to provide stencil/vector files and painting guidance during the volunteer painting days
Rights
- Niagara Artists Centre will retain the right to reproduce and promote images of the completed murals for non‑commercial promotional, archival, and educational purposes with artist credit. Artists retain copyright of their designs. Any commercial use will be negotiated separately.
How to submit
Email your submission to: artists@nac.org
Subject line: “Container Mural Submission — [Your Name]”
Questions
For questions or to request container dimensions and photos, email stephen@nac.org
We welcome proposals from individual artists, collectives, and designers. Thank you for helping make the Creative Commons a vibrant place for the community.