City of Brantford issues Call for Artists for Phil Hartman Mural

BRANTFORD, ON – The City of Brantford seeks to commission a muralist, or mural artist collective, to create a mural on the east wall of the Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts building, located at 88 Dalhousie Street. The mural will honour the late Phil Hartman, a well-known and tremendously gifted screen and voice actor, comedian, screenwriter and graphic designer from Brantford.

The commissioned artist will be selected through an open, two-stage process facilitated by Mural Routes, a member-based not-for-profit arts service organization dedicated to the creation, development and promotion of public wall art. The selected muralist will be responsible for hosting and facilitating up to two community consultations, in partnership with the City of Brantford, with community stakeholders on themes reflecting the work and life of Phil Hartman. Up to three artists will be shortlisted and paid $750 each to create detailed proposals that include proposed designs. The project budget is $70,000, inclusive of HST, and includes all costs directly associated with the artwork. Mural production is scheduled for late summer and early fall of 2024.

All artists are required to submit an application form through the Mural Routes’ website. Proposals are not requested at this time and will not be considered during the Stage 1 selection process. Artist applications will be reviewed on the basis of artistic excellence, expressed written interest in the site and other professional qualification criteria.

Those interested can submit an application online through the Mural Routes website at muralroutes.ca/call-for-artists-brantford. The deadline for submissions is July 22, 2024 at 4:30 p.m. Questions about the Call for Artists may be directed to Marta Keller-Hernandez, Managing Director at Mural Routes, at marta@muralroutes.ca. To learn more about the project, visit Brantford.ca/PhilHartmanMural.

About Phil Hartman

Phil Hartman was born in Brantford in 1948 and spent his formative years here before moving to the United States. He went on to co-produce and work on the Pee-wee Herman Show and star on Saturday Night Live for eight seasons, which earned him an Emmy win during his time on the show. Hartman was also the voice behind Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure on the Simpsons, and starred on the NBC NewsRadio sitcom, along with many other supporting acting roles. A victim of domestic violence, Hartman was tragically killed by his wife in 1998, who then committed suicide herself. His death was mourned as great loss to the comedy world. This mural is to honour and celebrate the life and work of Phil Hartman through a multitude of different iconography and stories, from his childhood in Brantford through his years in Hollywood, and beyond.

About Mural Routes

Mural Routes activates communities by facilitating the creation of responsive, collaborative murals, and provides opportunities to build and advance careers in mural art. Mural Routes has become the go to place for information and advice on mural creation and it provides support and consultation to a large network of artists, managers, and organizations. To learn more, visit www.muralroutes.ca.

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Media Contact:

Chelsey Tobin | Tourism Marketing Specialist, Economic Development, Tourism & Cultural Initiatives | City of Brantford | 519-759-4150 ext. 5048 | ctobin@brantford.ca