The city is seeking qualifications of a muralist to tell Selkirk’s story on the base of the iconic water tower.
Artists that can demonstrate experience with a comparable mural project of a similar scale are invited to submit samples of past work and qualifications to the city now through April 22.
Mural an investment into our cultural infrastructure
Work on the top of the tower was completed last fall and last on the checklist is the mural to be added to the bottom.
“Finding someone with the right vision that aligns with ours is key” said Selkirk CAO Duane Nicol.
“We want the water tower to act as a visitor experience; somewhere people can take a picture, learn about Selkirk’s history and gather interesting facts of Selkirk today”.
Anyone interested in submitting qualifications for the project is asked to consider Selkirk’s natural, historical, recreational, cultural, and unique features in their design.
“The Selkirk water tower is an iconic, and much-loved part of our city scape. It is a piece of critical infrastructure, but it’s also part of our cultural infrastructure. It provides a vital service, and it adds to the character of our community. Culture and social infrastructure are every bit as important as cement and pipes. People make a community – roads and water systems only serve it. Adding a mural and interpretive signage are investments into our cultural infrastructure. It’s not just city building, it’s community building,” Nicol said.
Looking forward to upcoming proposals
Selkirk continues to see story-telling murals pop up throughout the downtown and more are on the horizon.
“Murals are an increasingly popular public art form that add life and tell a story in an area” says the city’s Culture Coordinator Ellie Longbottom.
“Our community has some really creative people and there are some really interesting told and untold stories that I hope to see shine through in the upcoming proposals.”
Once the successful proponent has been awarded the contract, the City will work with the artist on developing the written concept into a design.
“We’re expecting some great ideas to come from this,” Longbottom said.
Proposals will be accepted until April 22 and all work on this project is estimated to be completed mid-September.
To view the full Request for Qualification and how to submit, visit http://myselkirk.ca/watertowermural
