FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We put a call to artists out every spring. Join our newsletter and follow our social media channels (instagram, facebook) to see when our call goes live.

Currently we are only taking on Colorado Based Artists. This may change in the future so sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date.

Yes, we offer a competitive festival rate of $7.50/sq ft with a supply stipend of $200 - $250 based on the size of the wall. Each artist stipend is paid upfront once all paperwork is filled out and returned.

Yes, we love facilitating first time muralists and providing the stepping stones for more public art! We encourage our newbies to be open and accepting of our constructive support and/or mentorship if FCMP deems it necessary. Mural painting is very different from studio work and FCMP strives to provide the support needed to help each artist accomplish a successful mural. When applying, we ask that you send examples of hand painted art so we can gauge how your skills will scale up.

Yes! With so many walls and such limited wall space and funds, we recognize the competition can sometimes feel fierce. We appreciate artists who continue to apply and are persistent, dynamic, and show us growth over time. Who knows, this year could be the year for you!

Yes, you are more than welcome to apply and show us how your work has evolved since we worked with you last. Though, we do prioritize new-to-us artists as much as possible so the likelihood of painting twice in a short period of time is low.

We strive to give artists full creative freedom, however, FCMP has a strict nondiscrimination clause and will not tolerate any images of violence, racism, sexism, xenophobia, sexually explicit content, and/or hate speech.

With the murals being extremely public artwork please take this into consideration.

We are also not able to include any promotional imagery or words for businesses. This moves your mural into the realm of signage.

Artists will provide: contact information, a cover letter including a brief concept statement and addressing why you are interested in participating in the project, and a portfolio of 3 works. Once selected we will ask for a color mock-up design and assign you to a building.

We do our best to supply ladders and scaffolding whenever possible. Let us know your needs when you are accepted to the Mural Project and we will do our best to accommodate. We also have access to projectors, tarps, and roller extender handles that can be loaned as needed.

Fort Collins has several exterior paint stores; Ace Hardware Downtown, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Guiry’s*, Sherwin Williams, and Diamond Vogel.

Special Secret: The Larimer County Landfill does supply free paint at the “Hazardous Waste” building.

*Our Guiry’s does not sell art spray paint. We have plenty of suppliers of Rustoleum so bring your adapters if needed.

We currently do not pay for mileage or flights, but we do offer housing with our Board Members for no cost.

Yes. We love hosting collaborative teams who apply together. Note, FCMP pays artists a rate per square foot, not per person.

Depending on the buildings we are working with, you may be placed on a wall by yourself, or on a wall with another artist or two. In this case we encourage dialogue on blending designs/edges, though we do not require this kind of collaboration.

We prioritize new-to-us artists and do allow our board of directors to apply to paint a mural with the caveat of being selected as ‘back up’ muralists in the unfortunate case of selected artists falling through for the week of the festival. For more information about this and to see our Non Profit’s bylaws click here.

You can apply, but we need you to be 18 before the start date of The Project. The Project usually takes place in September, specific dates are put out with the Call for Artists every year. You can however apply if you are a team with an Artist over 18.

While we reside in Fort Collins the artwork should reflect you as an artist not Fort Collins. We want to see our artists having fun and pushing their creative boundaries. It is rare as a muralist to get creative freedom so we want to see you taking advantage of it.

Allowing artists to apply after the deadline is not a fair practice that we can support. Please be patient and apply the following year.

While we understand the excitement of designing we encourage you to put your design into writing and wait until you are accepted to render a mock-up. FCMP does not want you spending hours or work on a design you may or may not get paid for.

FCMP is a small nonprofit and we currently do not have the funding to pay a travel stipend. While we recognize that some artists do not require a stipend to travel, it is not equitable to allow those artists to apply without being able to pay a stipend to artists that require it to be able to apply. We do have plans to open it up one day as we recongixe that being able to network outside of your local community is an important part of a muralist’s career growth.

FCMP does the curation for our Walls so no need to design based on the business. In fact, we discourage designing based on the business, because these types of murals are considered signage by the city Fort Collins.

Yes, even when you’re an experienced muralist. We understand that murals are often commissioned art and may not always reflect you as an artist.

Do not send in AI work samples, designs, or mock-ups. We need to see what you personally are capable of as an artist to be able to translate your ability to create a mural. Which is why we ask that most examples of past work be hand-painted. However, we don't mind at all if you use AI for the writing portions, although you should edit it to sound more like your voice.

If you are interested in participating in FCMP you can fill out our Wall Call Application, which opens every spring. Be sure to read through the rest of the FAQ if you have any questions on what to expect.

Chat with the owner of your building and if they are excited to participate, have them fill out the Wall Call Application!

Unless your indoor wall is highly visible to thousands of people, FCMP does not organize murals for indoor wall spaces. We urge you to check out our website to find some regional artists to connect with.

Public art and Murals have been shown to:

Deter crime and graffiti by 90% (no one wants to commit crime where everyone is looking).

Increase walk-in business by upwards of 50%.

Increase employee morale up to 40%.

Murals are painted in thicker layers than traditional paint and protect the wall longer.

Murals are worth between $20-40 a sq ft. With each paint stroke, the art is easily adding thousands of dollars of value to your building. When you join the FCMP roster you receive art that attracts new business, beautifies your building, and is accompanied by social marketing from our FCMP socials and newsletter.

During completion of the piece, the building owner will allow the artist to create a work of art in the artist’s own unique style. Commitments to the art lasts three years and within that time period, the building owner agrees to not intentionally alter or damage the work, use their best efforts to maintain the work, and notify the artist and FCMP of tagging or graffiti for removal and correction by the artist. See our sample contract below.

The Mural Project Curation Committee, made up of local artists, advocates, and community members, will review concept-level proposals and select the finalist and coordinate and match the best fit of artists with buildings.

We do the curation for you! Due to FCMP paying under the private hire rate for muralists ($20-40 a sqft), we offer our artists a chance to paint with freedom of design. We trust the artists we select in this process and ask that you have trust in FCMP and the artists to provide a truly unique and beloved mural.

Yes, in our curation process we do not allow; violence, racism, sexism, xenophobia, sexually explicit content, and/or hate speech. We are also not able to include any promotional imagery or words for businesses.

Yes, in our curation process we do not allow; violence, racism, sexism, xenophobia, sexually explicit content, and/or hate speech. We are also not able to include any promotional imagery or words for businesses.

Yes, we will send you the artist’s mock-up before the festival begins. Ultimately, the building owner will not be able to make specific suggestions or changes to the design, but does has the ability to veto a concept within a timely manner after it has been vetted by the Mural Committee.

FCMP generally paints one week straight in September each year. There is a detailed annual timeline that you will be notified of when you join our roster.

Your building will be responsible for repairing any damages cited by FCMP’s board prior to the beginning of the festival. The cost of these repairs will be the responsibility of the building owner. FCMP handles everything else for you from curation to execution.

As an organization we do not paint murals that could be considered “signage” under the city’s code enforcement department’s rules and regulations. And have not blocked streets or sidewalks with our work. In the event that we would need to block areas we would pull proper permits.

Absolutely! The deadline is to get a guaranteed spot in the current year’s Mural Project. Applying after the deadline doesn’t mean we won’t work with you within the year you apply, just doesn’t guarantee it. You will be added to our waitlist if the current year is not feasible.

You sure can, we do offer project management. Email us for more information!

From our impetus, FCMP has and continues to exist solely because of our donors. Currently, 90% of donations go directly to the artists painting in the festival. We pride ourselves on being a mural project that pays our participating artists (by the square foot) and consider FCMP a leader in this movement with your support.

Yes, please! Contact us at fcmuralproject@gmail.com to set up a pick-up or drop-off. We accept exterior house paint, spray paint, house painting and mural painting equipment, gift cards, and more!

In order to keep the nature of Mural Project as a non-commissioned program, donations and mural paintings are not exclusively tied. Through our efforts of bringing public art into more visible spaces, we are collectively bringing awareness and understanding to the true value of public art and are grateful for your participation in this movement—in whatever variation that may look.

No, we are a completely separate entity from the city of Fort Collins offices. We love what our city’s APP has added to our city, and we work hard to enrich our community as a stand alone nonprofit. We rely on donors like you to make this happen every year.

No, FCMP is not funding by the city or state in anyway. As a resident of Fort Collins or Colorado your tax dollars do not go towards our nonprofit. We operate on grants and donations alone which is why we so very much appreciate your donations!

Our board is fully volunteer including our Executive Director. We do occasionally have projects where board members have been selected for projects through our hiring process detailed in our By-Laws.