The City of Moscow and the Moscow Arts Commission announce the opening of the public comment period on three finalist proposals for a mural to be installed at the corner of Jackson & A Streets, with comments accepted online until 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 27th, 2024. Finalist proposals are available to view here. Public comment is being accepted here.
About the Proposals
The request for qualifications (RFQ) phase of this mural project was open from February 2nd – March 21st, 2024, with artists eighteen (18) years-of-age and older from the United States eligible for the project. Preference was given to artists who live in Latah County, Nez Perce County, or those who are Nez Perce or Coeur d’Alene tribal members and/or have a significant Idaho economic presence, with secondary preference given to those artists who live in Asotin County or Whitman County. This preference was established numerically in the form of extra points given prior to the Selection Panel’s scoring based on the established selection criteria. Artists are eligible regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital or familial status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, and gender expression or identity. 

In the initial phase, 52 submissions were received. The Selection Panel previewed the submissions online and then met to discuss and score them in person. The three top-scoring submitters were invited to make site-specific proposals for the project. These artists are: Jay Rasgorshek, Ernesto Maranje, and Darion Fleming. 

Public Comment Period
Following the public comment period, comments will be compiled and provided to the Selection Panel. The Selection Panel will score each finalist proposal according to the selection criteria developed by the Moscow Arts Commission and approved by Moscow City Council. The Selection Panel will provide a recommendation for a selected artist to the Moscow Arts Commission, which will vote to recommend an artist to City Council. Following the selection process, the mural is slated for installation in September 2024. 

The selected artist honorarium for the mural installation is not to exceed $25,000. Included in this budget are the artist’s fee, insurance, travel, fabrication, engineering, materials, installation, documentation, and all other costs accrued by the artist specific to this project.

The project theme was developed by the Moscow Arts Commission and approved by Moscow City Council:
The community of Moscow rises up from the fertile ground of the Palouse, where water, seeds, and soil create a playful dance of transformation. Joining in this growth are the intertwining stories of students and life-long residents. Rooted in Moscow, these stories are a celebration of potential, of opening and stretching toward the sunlight. The mural at the building at Jackson & A will reflect the spirit of play, celebration, and transformation at the core of the Moscow community. 

City staff will accommodate members of the public who wish to provide public comment on paper. Set up an appointment by contacting mcherry@ci.moscow.id.us.

About Public Art in Moscow, ID

The Moscow Arts Commission and the City of Moscow Arts Department share a mission is to enrich the community by celebrating and cultivating the expressions of all forms of art and culture. It has fostered artistic excellence and public access to the arts in the city for many years. The program’s focus areas are fourfold: curation of community exhibition space at the Third Street Gallery inside City Hall, arts events and programming, arts and culture education, and a comprehensive public art program. 

Guided by a Public Art Master Plan adopted in 2015, the public art collection is ever-expanding, with artistic direction crafted in collaboration between city staff and the Moscow Arts Commission, a passionate group of volunteer arts advocates. The collection is comprised of both temporary and permanent features, each of which are pictured on the City of Moscow website. Temporary artworks include vinyl-wrapped utility boxes and bus shelters as well as a sculpture garden featuring artworks on loan to the City. Artworks in the permanent collection range from mosaic murals and sculptures-in-the-round to framed pieces in the Portable Collection. Each new piece in the permanent collection joins others by celebrated regional artists including Harold Balazs, David Govedare, Miles Pepper, Robert Horner, Melissa Cole, J. Casey Doyle, Jennifer Corio, and Dave Frei. Moscow is a community rich with diversity of thought, inhabited by minds open to possibility and creative interpretation. As such, the public art program not only celebrates the artist as a professional and valued business partner, but also welcomes a broad range of appearances, media, and art-making processes into its collection. 

Story Contact: Megan Cherry, Arts Manager
Phone: (208) 883-7036
Email:mcherry@ci.moscow.id.us