St. Luke Mural Project

 OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTS: Mural at St. Luke United Methodist Church, Cleveland, MS 

“We all bloom together.”

Application Deadline: June 30, 2025 

Installation Window: Late August – September 2025


Location: St. Luke United Methodist Church, 1227 Deering St, Cleveland, MS 38732


Wall Dimensions: Approx. 40 ft (wide) x 20 ft (high), South-facing exterior brick wall

About the Opportunity

St. Luke United Methodist Church is seeking an artist or artist team to design and install a large-scale, vibrant, and community-inspired mural that will serve as a welcoming visual landmark on our church's exterior wall. This project is part of our commitment to community engagement, youth enrichment, and the spiritual and artistic celebration of unity, belonging, and growth.

The mural will face Parks Elementary School and we are especially excited for the selected artist to work collaboratively with local students to bring the vision to life.

Mural Theme and Inspiration

The mural should reflect who we are as a church—a welcoming, inclusive, joyful community where everyone belongs. We envision a floral-inspired mural that is bright, colorful, and interactive, grounded in the beauty of our stained glass windows, and rich with textures, symbolism, and movement.

Key Concepts to Incorporate:

• “We are all flowers in God’s garden.” / “We all bloom together.”

• Belonging, Unity, and Welcome — Different kinds of flowers (succulents, cacti, magnolia, dandelions), but all growing from the same earth.

• Colors and flow inspired by stained glass—consider bold black outlines like Matisse or Gauguin, with inspiration taken by the vibrant stained glass in the St. Luke sanctuary.

• Interactive Element Idea: A giant watering can tilted above, with "water" or words of affirmation and love pouring down over people standing in front—encouraging selfies and reflection.

• Inclusion of UMC Flame and Cross, the church’s name, potentially incorporated in a smaller corner of the piece. (This would be a nice addition, but is not the main focal point of the art).

• A Garden of Belonging—where all roots connect; people find their place and bloom.

• Hashtags/messages for inspiration:


• #BloomingTogether


• #WhatAreYouSowing


• #WhereDoYouFit

Artist Expectations

• Collaborate with students from Parks Elementary School during the mural installation. The church will collaborate with the local elementary school to ensure students can assist the artist as instructed.

• Prepare the exterior brick surface for painting, including cleaning and priming as needed.

• Create a weatherproof, durable design using high-quality exterior paints.

• Oversee installation, projected between late August and September 2025.

Artist Selection Criteria

• Quality and originality of past mural or large-scale artwork.

• Experience working with communities and/or youth.

• Vision and clarity in how the proposed design ties into the church’s values and themes.

• Willingness to engage in meaningful collaboration with the church and school.

Budget

A stipend of $10,000 will be provided for this project. This is inclusive of artist fees, materials, surface prep, and travel/lodging if applicable.

To Apply:

Please submit the following to revhannah319@gmail.com:

• Brief Artist Statement

• 1-3 images of relevant past work or link to artist social account

• A brief proposal (up to 200 words) with 2-3 initial “rough” design sketches outlining your vision for the mural, how you’d engage youth, and how you'd interpret the theme

• Contact information and social media/website links

We believe in the power of art to heal, unite, and inspire. At St. Luke UMC, our doors—and our walls—are open for expression that reflects love, growth, and grace.

Questions?
 Contact: Rev. Hannah Shempert revhannah319@gmail.com +16628432306