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El Monte Community Canvas Art Contest

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  2. Community Art Contest Logo

  4. **City of El Monte

    Community Canvas Art Contest**
    Call for Mural Designs

    The City of El Monte Parks & Recreation Department is issuing a Call for Mural Designs for an outdoor fitness court installation located within the City of El Monte.

    The selected mural design will be digitally reproduced on anti-graffiti laminate vinyl and professionally installed by a third-party vendor.

    The artist or artist team whose design is selected will receive a $5,000 grant, awarded upon full installation of the artwork.

    DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS

    Friday, March 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM (PST)

    ELIGIBILITY

    Applicants must:

    • Live in El Monte, California

    • Be 14 years of age or older

    DESIGN CRITERIA

    • Design proposals may be digitally created or hand-rendered (painted, illustrated, etc.)

    • Artwork proposals must be to scale and no smaller than 16” L x 3.5” H

    • The selected artist must recreate the final design to scale for a 32’ L x 7’ H mural wall

    • Final artwork must be submitted in one of the following formats for digital reproduction at 300 dpi:
      .ai, .eps, .svg, .pdf

    • Artists may submit:

      • Existing work from their portfolio or

      • An original design created specifically for this installation

    • Multiple designs may be submitted

    Artistic Direction

    • Artwork should reflect a bold, urban, and contemporary aesthetic

    • Designs should have strong visual impact and be suitable as a photo / selfie destination

    • Preference may be given to designs incorporating 3-dimensional visual elements

    • Designs must complement or incorporate the selected Fitness Court powder-coated color: Bright Red-Orange (RAL 2008)

    Restrictions

    • Designs must not reference playgrounds or young children

    • Avoid literal park or fitness themes — artists are encouraged to think outside the box

    • Artwork may not include:

      • Trademarked images, logos, or taglines

      • Commercial branding or product references

      • Overt religious or political imagery

      • Violence, hate speech, or obscenities

    INSTALLATION CRITERIA

    • Final artwork will be digitally sized to fit a 32’ L x 7’ H mural wall

    • A designated side-edge area will be reserved for:

      • Artist/team photo

      • Artist logo or signature

      • Short artist bio

    • The mural will be printed on anti-graffiti laminate vinyl

    • The City of El Monte will cover all costs related to:

      • Printing

      • Installation

      • Insurance

      • Permits (if required)

    PROPOSAL SELECTION CRITERIA

    A selection panel composed of arts professionals, City staff, and community representatives will review submissions based on:

    • Artistic Excellence

    • Thematic Content

    • Originality

    SELECTED ARTIST / TEAM REQUIREMENTS

    The selected artist/team must provide:

    • Final artwork scaled to 32’ W x 7’ H (minimum final submission size: 64” W x 14” H)

    • Final digital artwork in .ai, .eps, .svg, or .pdf

    • Vector or high-resolution version of artist signature

    • 3–5 sentence artist bio

    • High-resolution artist photo (300 dpi, 9.5” x 9.5”)

    • Completed W-9

    • Social media handles and/or website for promotional use

    The City of El Monte retains the right to use the artwork for promotional purposes across all platforms.
    Final artwork remains the property of the artist for reproduction and resale.


  6. HOW TO SUBMIT

    Submit your design(s) by uploading below.

    Accepted file formats: .ai, .eps, .svg, .pdf


  14. QUESTIONS

    Please direct all questions to:

    Amy Talamantes
    📞 (626) 258-8703
    📧 atalamantes@elmonteca.gov

  16. Special Links
  18. Mural Site
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