Georgetown Title – in collaboration with the Georgetown Arts and Culture Board – would like to commission an artist to design and install a mural on an exterior wall of their building. Call opens November 1, 2020

Application Deadline: December 31, 2020

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Beginning November 1st, 2020, The City of Georgetown’s Arts and Culture Board will invite artist entries for the Commercial Mural Project at Georgetown Title. The mural design should be an interpretation of the history of the site using abstract representation with an emphasis on color and shape instead of realistic representation. For more details, see the full submission guidelines here: Call for Artist Entries_Georgetown Title Mural; Area maps can be found here: Supplemental Area Maps_Georgetown Title Mural

ABOUT GEORGETOWN TITLE AND THE HISTORY OF THE SITE: The area just to the west of Georgetown’s historic Courthouse Square was once the city’s center of industry and transportation. When the railroad arrived in 1876, it had a huge impact on the transportation of goods and agricultural products, and lumber yards were quickly built around the rail spurs to take advantage of the incoming building supplies. The railroad brought more refined building products in, as well as connected local agricultural products like cotton to larger markets. The railroad also brought in everything from produce to rubber, and the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps of Georgetown are an early picture of the affluence the rail connection brought to the community. The rail spurs remained downtown for nearly a century until they were removed in the mid 1960’s.

The location of the Georgetown Title Company was previously the site of the Belford Lumber Yard. Owned by Charles Sanford (C. S.) Belford, who was one of the most notable builders in Georgetown’s history, this was his center of operations for his substantial building business. Belford has a National Register Historic District named after him and is known for building remarkable houses in the city’s Old Town Historic District as well as commercial structures in the Downtown. Belford’s toolbox, ledgers and some of his construction plans are housed in Special Collections at Southwestern University.

A group of buildings known as Belford Square where built in the early 1970’s and became home to Georgetown Title.  Georgetown Title employees are experts in closing and insuring all types of land transactions, from farm and ranch to commercial, residential and new construction.

 ELIGIBILITY: This opportunity is open to all professional artists over the age of 18.

BUDGET: This project is part of the Percent for Public Art in Municipal Capital Improvement Projects and provides matching City funds to the Commercial Mural at Georgetown Title. An artist stipend of $4,000 will be paid to the artist selected to install the mural. The cost of materials and equipment necessary to install the mural will be covered up to $2,000. Any material and equipment costs exceeding this amount will require prior approval. The selected artist will be responsible for their own travel costs, housing, and personal liability insurance.

INSTALLATION DATE: Mural will be completed by April 30, 2021.

APPLY: Applications will be submitted through Submittable.com between November 1 and December 31, 2020: https://artsgeorgetown.submittable.com/Submit

SELECTION: From the entries submitted by the deadline, the Arts and Culture Board in collaboration with Georgetown Title will award an artist commission for the mural design and installation.  Artists will be notified of the final selection by the late January, 2021.

APPLICATION FEE: None

Questions: Contact Amanda Still at 512-930-8471 or Amanda.still@georgetown.org

Please click here to view the full submission guidelines, project schedule, and other info: Call for Artist Entries_Georgetown Title Mural