Electric Works is embarking on its largest public art project to date, commissioning a 40,000 sf. mural on the facade of the campus parking garage. Local, national, and global artists are invited to submit their qualifications for consideration through an application due May 31, 2024.
While Electric Works does not outline a specific theme for this mural, project leaders have shared some inspirational notes and parameters. The project’s goals are to enhance quality of place, communicate the vision of Electric Works, attract visitors to campus, and assist with wayfinding. Competitive applicants should display a capacity for large-scale work and a portfolio that reflects consistent style and skill.
Electric Works is a district of innovation, culture, and energy for Fort Wayne and Northeast Indiana. The campus’ adaptive re-use of the 730,000 square foot former General Electric campus includes a range of creative office and co-working spaces, a public market and food hall, primary care clinic and pharmacy, retail and dining, and numerous collaborative and public spaces hosting a range of events, and more. Electric Works is positioned between two thriving downtown neighborhoods, and the mural site is visible from Broadway, a street with traffic from more than 15,000 vehicles a day. The campus already displays more than 12 murals from local artists, and this project is meant to further enliven the property with public art, engaging residents, tenants and visitors alike.
Alexandra Hall of A H Public Spaces Consulting, who has worked on the public art strategy for Electric Works, said, “Murals activate public spaces, reinventing their use and purpose. By creating a cultural destination, we engage an audience while visitors move from business to business within a community. This project will help celebrate the growth and momentum within the Broadway district; it will provide another major wayfinding landmark, and the mural will beautify the north side of the campus. The scale of the mural is truly unprecedented; it is by far and away the largest mural in Fort Wayne. ”
“Public art is a very important part of our continued efforts to activate campus as a destination and an innovation district,” said Katy Silliman, senior director of experience for Electric Works. “This 40,000 square foot mural will be highly visible and will welcome residents, tenants and visitors to Electric Works and Fort Wayne. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with the City of Fort Wayne, the Public Art Commission and Alexandra Hall on this meaningful project.”
The mural will be installed by the selected artist or artist team in the Summer of 2024. Project proposals will be evaluated based on mural design, use of space, and the artist’s written narrative. An artist or artist team will be selected based on their previous experience, artwork style, and their proposed concept for the site. The finalist’s design will be subject to Fort Wayne Public Art Commission approval.
Funding for this project is supported by Electric Works and The Public Art Giveback Program, a funding instrument for the City of Fort Wayne’s Public Art Program based upon contributions from certain city-supported eligible redevelopment projects.