Mural Project - JFX Underpass

Urban Oasis: An Immersive Mural Environment

The Mayor's Office of Arts & Culture and Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) are seeking Maryland-based mural artists to produce vibrant, uplifting, and immersive mural designs that they will then apply to select pillars under the Jones Falls Expressway viaduct at Holliday and Saratoga Streets for Artscape 2025, May 24–25, 2025.  

Project Overview

The Urban Oasis Mural Project reimagines the city as a living, breathing ecosystem—where nature and the built environment converge to create a visually stunning and immersive experience. Designed to transform the urban landscape, this mural will weave together elements of botanical life, organic textures, and environmental storytelling, offering residents and visitors a space of beauty, reflection, and inspiration.

Vision & Concept

This large-scale mural will infuse biophilic design principles into the cityscape, incorporating lush botanical imagery, native plant species, and flowing natural elements that evoke a sense of movement and life. By blending realistic depictions of foliage, water, light, and wind-inspired motifs with the geometric patterns of the city’s architecture, the artwork will serve as a gateway between nature and the urban fabric.

Through the use of vivid colors, layered textures, and interactive design elements, the mural will invite viewers to engage with their environment in a new way — offering hidden visual details, augmented reality features, and touchpoints for community interaction.

Eligibility 

Applicants must be 21 years of age or older. Preference will be given to Maryland based artist. Artists can apply individually or as an artist team. The number of assigned columns and awarded funds will be commensurate with the experience level of the artist and/or the size of the team.  

Requested Qualifications 

Artists must submit all of the items below. Applicants who fail to submit all of these items will not be considered. 

• Artist’s Statement (100 words or less)
• Resume/CV (PDF; 5 MB or less)
• 3–5 images of relevant existing work (JPG or PNG, less than 10 MB total)
• Draft budget 

Selection Process 

A panel of visual artists, arts administrators, and community members will join City and BOPA representatives in evaluating and choosing the selected artists.

Budget

The budget is inclusive of an $4,000 artist fees and materials. All columns will be washed and primed prior to painting. A lift and overnight storage space will be provided. 

Design Guidelines 

We are looking to create an immersive urban oasis. Please see the included inspiration photos for the theme.

Other Requirements 

• Painting must occur between the hours of 7:00 am and 9:00 pm. 

Timeline

• The application deadline is March 17, 2025.
• The project timeline will be updated shortly.