The Milford Cultural Council (MCC) is excited to announce a Call for Artists to submit designs for a mural to be installed in Milford’s centrally located Town Park. Milford has partnered with National Fitness Campaign (NFC) and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts to install a Fitness Court® in Town Park in the spring. As part of this project, the council is seeking artwork to be featured on the Fitness Court’s 32’ wide multipurpose training wall. 

Area artists are encouraged to submit designs for consideration now until midnight on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024. Artwork can be created in any medium; however, it must be submitted digitally. The selected artist will work with the NFC to adapt their art to fit the Fitness Court and will receive a grant of $5,000. 

Details about artist requirements and design criteria are provided in the “Call for Artists and Entry Guidelines” document, which is available on the Town website at this link: bit.ly/mcc-townparkmural. Artists can complete their entry form and upload their designs at this link: bit.ly/mcc-callforartists. 

The Fitness Court mural wall will be 32' L x 7' H in size and printed digitally on high quality antigraffiti laminated vinyl. 

The front side of the Fitness Court training wall will also feature four small zones of artwork (“windows”) framing the Fitness Court usage and reference information. The two side panels of the training wall will feature the selected artist’s headshot, logo, and short bio/description of the work. The winning artist will be joining a network of over 30 artists across the country who have participated in the campaign. 

See more information about the campaign and local artist participation at: nationalfitnesscampaign.com/local-artists

“The Parks Department is so pleased to be partnering with National Fitness Campaign and Blue Cross to install a Fitness Court in Milford Town Park as a part of our major renovation project. The new Fitness Court will not only provide an innovative exercise area, but its completed mural will also enrich this public space through color and art,” says Jim Asam, Milford Parks and Recreation Administrator.

Applicants for this project must be 14 years or older. Minors under the age of 18 will need parental consent to enter the contest. The winning artist will be required to provide a completed W-9 form.

Artwork should promote positive, light-hearted imagery and represent local or regional values unique to the area. The goal is to share fun, vibrant, innovative artwork that tells the story of wellness and fitness in our community. 

The winning artist will be contacted before March 1, 2024. The grant award will be mailed to the winning artist after the final installation of the artwork and Fitness Court by National Fitness Campaign this spring.  

Questions about the Town Park mural project can be emailed to [email protected].

The 2024 Town Park Fitness Court mural project adds a new phase to the MCC’s ongoing Art in the Parks initiative, conducted in partnership with the Milford Parks Department and Highway Department. Art in the Parks was launched in 2021 with the Brush to Table Picnic Table project and followed by the Trash to Treasure Barrel project in 2022, a second round of Brush to Table, and the installation of hand-crafted game boards at Louisa Lake in 2022. As a local partner of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Milford Cultural Council seeks to promote excellence, inclusion, education, and diversity in the arts, humanities, and sciences to foster a rich cultural life for all Milford residents, thereby contributing to the vitality of our community and economy. The council welcomes ideas, recommendations, and feedback regarding programs and events funded or sponsored by the council. Interested Milford residents are encouraged to attend meetings, which are held the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. typically in Room 14 of Town Hall. Learn more online at: MilfordMA.gov/milford-cultural-council.