City of Port Hueneme to Commission Mural Celebrating its 75th Anniversary

Port Hueneme, CA – The City of Port Hueneme, in collaboration with the Oxnard Performing Arts Center Corporation (OPAC) and the Ventura County Library, is pleased to announce a Call for Artists and Request for Qualifications for the development of a new mural at the Ray D. Prueter Library located at 510 Park Ave in Port Hueneme, California. This project will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the City of Port Hueneme and will launch the City’s public arts initiatives. 

City of Port Hueneme City Councilmember Laura Hernandez comments, “I am extremely excited to see that we are now on the path to making the City’s first mural project a reality. It has been over three years since the City’s mural project was initially conceived and funding approved through the Port of Hueneme and City of Port Hueneme Community Benefit Fund.  This project will be a collaborative effort between the City, the Port, the Ventura County Library, and the Oxnard Performing Arts Center nonprofit.  My hope is that this mural will be the first step toward building a public art program for the City of Port Hueneme. Public Art Programs can create economic growth, bring our community together and support local artists. The mural will also be a welcomed enhancement to the Ray D. Prueter Library which just received a 1.5-million-dollar grant for library improvements and complement the Bubbling Springs Park renovations that are expected to be completed in 2025.”

Artists and artist teams based in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles Counties are invited to submit qualifications to be considered for the mural project. Mural themes may include natural environment, local history, and community, and should be engaging and inclusive. The dimensions for the two walls to be considered for the artwork are approximately 19’ high x 43’ wide (facing the parking lot), and 15’ high x 19’ wide (facing Park Ave). A Technical Assistance Workshop will be held on Saturday, December 16th from 1-2:30 pm at the Ray D. Prueter Library. Applications are due by December 31, 2023. Project details and application requirements can be found at theopac.org/mural. 

Three artists or artist teams will be selected to advance to the proposal phase and will receive an $800 honorarium for the development of their proposal. The artist or artist team awarded the project will receive a fee of $24,000 for the design of the artwork, oversight, installation of the mural, and participation with community engagement and feedback. This total amount includes fabrication, installation and other associated costs.

This public art project is an investment in the regional arts community and in the City’s aspiration in establishing itself as a vibrant place to live, work, and play. This project is anticipated to celebrate the City of Port Hueneme’s past, present, and future in honor of its 75th anniversary. This mural project, made possible through the City of Port Hueneme and Port of Hueneme Community Benefit Fund, is moving in coordination with improvements to the Ray D. Prueter Library and the adjacent Richard Bard Bubbling Springs Park. This project will be open to a wide variety of artistic styles and approaches.

“Art is a window to the past, an anchor to the present, and a portal to the future — it gives you an opportunity to belong somewhere. Art is one of the best ways to help someone explore their creativity, connect with their community, and discover a new world of possibilities, which aligns with the mission of the Ventura County Library. When this library was built in 1989, we were fortunate to have Helle Scharling-Todd create the mosaics that adorn our lobby and interior, and this mural will provide our visitors with another way to feel connected to, and included in, our city,” reflects City Librarian for the East Region, Timothy J. Furgal, MSIS.

“My goal as the City Librarian has always been to provide Port Hueneme with a world-class library experience and it’s been a joy to watch this project come together with the tremendous support from our Executive Director, Nancy Schram, the City of Port Hueneme, and OPAC. I love that our talented local artists will be able to create an enduring work to bring people together, the same way that our libraries unite us. I am looking forward to seeing what our artists come up with.”  

City of Port Hueneme Mural Project – Ray D. Prueter Library
Technical Assistance Workshop: Sat., Dec. 16 from 1-2:30 pm @ the Ray D. Prueter Library
Applications due by email or online submission: December 31, 2023

More information and the online application can be found at: theopac.org/mural
Inquiries and applications can be directed to muralproject@theopac.org

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