City of Durham Cultural & Public Art ProgramcommissionRemote
City of Durham Pre-Qualified Artist Registry
- Who Can Apply: Artists and artist teams of all backgrounds and any medium. No geographic restriction is stated; candidates are eligible regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender identification, military status, sexual orientation, marital status or physical ability.
- The Focus: Join a pre-qualified registry the City of Durham uses to select artists for cultural and public art commissions (sculptures, murals, photographic works, mosaics, electronic art installations) in parks, sidewalks, walls, bus stops and other public spaces.
- Compensation: No payment for joining and no guaranteed commission. Budgets are set per project and are not stated for the registry; a recent registry-sourced mural initiative listed approximately $8,000-$20,000 per mural.
- Key Requirements: Submit on Submittable: an artist statement (experience, disciplines, qualifications; teams explain collectively); at least five (5) high-resolution images from at least three (3) different projects, each with title, location, cost, materials/medium and timeline (a video counts as one of the five images, submitted as a hyperlink within the PDF; team images should include examples from each member); a resume for each artist/team member including commissioning and community engagement experience; and at least three (3) current non-familial references or recommendation letters with contact information (teams may submit three collectively).
DeadlineRolling deadline
PaySelection to the registry does not guarantee a commission; no payment is attached to registry membership and the registry guidelines state no commission budgets. Registry artists are considered for paid City cultural and public art projects; a recent registry-sourced mural initiative (Neighborhood Stories in Art) listed commissions of approximately $8,000-$20,000 per mural.
Locationglobal
ParticipationRemote
Disciplinespublic art, cultural art
Application notesApply on Submittable (City of Durham Pre-Qualified Artist Registry form; a Spanish-language form is also available). The City states the application process does not have a deadline and review/notification is rolling; note the Submittable form currently displays an end date of about December 1, 2026, so check the form if applying after that. City staff review for completeness and an Artist Selection Committee evaluates portfolios. Application support: Harry Turfle, Harry.Turfle@DurhamNC.gov. General inquiries: Cultural & Public Art Program, dcab@durhamnc.gov, 919-560-4197.
Contactdcab@durhamnc.gov
City of Durham Cultural & Public Art Program
Organization based in Durham