Sanford Dam Mural and Walkway Project Announces Call to Artists
The Sanford Dam Mural and Walkway project team is pleased to announce the Call for Artists, inviting muralists from across the country to submit their portfolios for consideration. The artwork consists of an 80 ft. mural on the downstream side of the Sanford Dam powerhouse wall. The project is part of a larger effort to create a greenspace and educational walkway that chronicles the impact of the dams in the Four Lakes system — Sanford, Edenville, Smallwood, and Secord — while recognizing the tremendous community effort to restore the lakes after the 2020 dam failures.
Community feedback revealed a vision for the mural to be a blend of reflection and aspiration, honoring the efforts of those who have been instrumental in restoring the dams and lakes. The mural will stand as a visual narrative of hope, unity, and perseverance.
“Public art reflects the stories of a community and ours has no bigger collective story than the flood of 2020 and the ongoing recovery of our lakes,” said Stacey Trapani, of the project team. “The mural will stand as lasting recognition of resilience and commitment, and be a beautiful reminder of an historic time on our region.”
This call is open to U.S. residing professional artists and artist teams with demonstrated experience creating large-scale outdoor murals or public artworks. Local and regional artists are strongly encouraged to apply. Semifinalists will each receive a $500 stipend to develop a concept proposal. These concepts will be reviewed and voted on by the Steering Committee. The selected artist’s commission including design, materials, travel, and installation, will be $30,000.
Artists should submit a single PDF to dacia@parkerlane.art with the subject line “Sanford Dam Mural Proposal – [Your Name/Team Name].” Include a cover letter (1 page) describing your interest and artistic approach; the artist’s resume or CV (individual or team); a portfolio of up to eight images of past mural or public art projects (include title, size, year, and location); and two references familiar with your public art experience. Note: Do not submit a mural design proposal at this stage. One artist or artist team will be selected from the semifinalists to complete the final mural commission. Submission deadline is April 3, 2026.
To view the RFP with full details, go to www.sanfordmural.com and scroll to the bottom. For more information, contact Dacia Parker at dacia@parkerlane.art.