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SawMural Mini-Mural Festival

Request for qualifications to be considered for the SawMural Mini-Mural Festival

SawMural Request for Qualifications

Deadline: Friday, November 13, 2026 at 11:59 pm

Location/Context  

The Public Art Urban Enhancement Division invites greater Albuquerque area (Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia counties) artists to apply for consideration to create a mural for the inaugural year of the SawMural! Mini-Mural Festival. 

SawMural! Mini-Mural Festival is a public art and creative workforce development initiative that will transform a 1,000-foot segment of the Rail Trail into a vibrant open-air gallery. 

The Rail Trail is a 7-mile urban multi-use pathway that will connect downtown Albuquerque to nearby neighborhoods, cultural destinations, and entertainment districts. The Rail Trail is a transformational initiative that will enhance connectivity, promote economic growth, and celebrate the city's diverse cultural heritage. The completed quarter mile Sawmill segment of the Rail Trail sets the tone featuring infrastructure inspired by the area's lumber yard industrial past to create a corridor that connects people, neighborhoods, amenities, and stories. 

The east side of the Sawmill segment presents a significant opportunity for a mini-mural festival that makes use of City owned outdoor exhibition frames for a visually impactful temporary, open-air gallery that will be installed in 2027. 

Project Intent/Theme

The SawMural Review Committee seeks up to twenty (20) artists to create mini-murals for the first year of the SawMural! Mini-Mural Festival to take place in 2027. An art selection committee comprised of arts professionals, community partners, and City representatives will review submissions to identify artists who will receive a commission to create original, mini-mural works on 48-inch by 72-inch panels that will be provided to artists. These panels will be framed in city owned Taycar outdoor exhibition display frames which will be installed along the trail corridor, creating a dynamic visual experience that encourages pedestrian activity, cultural tourism, and community engagement. 

Up to three of the final mini-murals may be selected to become part of the Albuquerque Public Art Collection. A cash award will be provided to the top three designs selected. 

Site

The east side of the Sawmill Segment Trail between Bellamah Ave NW and Mountain Rd NW, is approximately 1,000 feet long and 3.5 feet wide, and is composed of levelled decomposed granite. There is no infrastructure such as lighting, emergency call centers, seating, boulders, trees, railroad ephemeral, or other forms of decorative landscaping as there is on the west side of the trail. The east side of the trail is the perfect location for a temporary, artistic intervention. 

Sawmill walking trail with available space outlined in red.

Project Timeline

  • September 2026: Post call for artists
  • November 13, 2026: Artist applications due
  • December 2026: Artists notified
  • January - April 2027: Design, development, and fabrication of murals on provided panels
  • May 2027: Panels installed and SawMural! Festival
  • May - August 2027: Mural on view 

Media/Style

Each selected artist, artist team, or community organization will be provided with a 48 inch (height) by 72 inch (width) marine grade plywood panel. Mural subject and style are open to the artists' interpretation. Artworks must be accessible and appropriate for a broad, multi-generational, and diverse public audience. Artworks must be two-dimensional. No electricity will be available for lighting of works. 

Works of art that include subject matter such as the apparent representation of violence, inappropriate nudity, denigration of individuals or cultures, desecration of significant cultural symbols, political or religious speech, will be reviewed for their appropriateness for public display. 

Application Process

This call is restricted to artists that reside in the greater Albuquerque area including Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia counties. Applications must be submitted online via CaFE (Call for Entree). Proof of residency will be required for the finalists selected. The SawMural Selection Committee will jury and recommend finalist artists to the full Arts Board. 

Artist applicants interested in applying must submit the following items to be considered: 

  1. A cover letter briefly discussing interest in the project. Not to exceed 500 words.
  2. A current resume including statements regarding your artwork/art education and past work, etc. 
  3. Up to 7 images of other work of art demonstrating the artist's style and ability to fabricate and install at 4 foot by 6 foot mural.
  4. An image key, clearly labeled with your full name and a numerical listing for each image, the title of the work, the media, dimensions, and year of completion of the work. 

This online SawMural Application process requires that all application images and materials be submitted in a digital format. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool to create any images submitted must be declared in the image key. 

Do not submit a proposed design, as they will not be shown to the committee. This is a Request for Qualifications based on artistic style and approach. 

Selection Process and Criteria

The SawMural Selection Committee will select applications based on the selection criteria, through a fair and open competition. 

The selection criteria shall include, but is not limited to: 

  • Demonstrated artistic quality (use of media, unique vision, quality of craftsmanship)
  • Artists' familiarity with Albuquerque's Sawmill trail and the surrounding communities
  • The professional qualifications of the artist demonstrated by the supporting materials
  • Ability to created proposed design within the $4,000 fabrication/installation budget

Eligibility and Funding

Legal residents of the greater Albuquerque area, including Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia counties, are eligible to submit. Selected mural artists or artist teams will receive $4,000. 

Deadline for Submission

The application, images, and other required materials must be submitted electronically via  CAFE by 11:59 pm, on Friday, November 13, 2026.

Please note that staff support for technical or submission inquiries will not be available after 12 pm on Friday, November 13, 2026. After this time, applicants will be responsible for resolving any potential issues on their own. There will be no exceptions made for late submissions. Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete and submit well in advance. 

Questions/Follow Up

Questions about the project may be directed to Christine West, Project Coordinator and contractor for the City of Albuquerque, Public Art Urban Enhancement Division, (713) 305-7641 or email at [email protected]