Beginning October 1, 2026, the City of Georgetown is calling for entries for the 2027 Red Poppy Festival Poster Artist.
Requirements to be considered:
• Artwork must be submitted by midnight Nov. 15.
• The artist must agree to have their artwork reproduced for the poster, street banners, City of Georgetown websites, advertisements, and any collateral materials created to promote the 2027 Red Poppy Festival.
• The art submission must be an original work of art.
• The final artwork will be reproduced as a 16” x 20” poster (portrait only), so it needs to fit these proportions.
• Artist must submit digital copy of artwork and complete online form.
The winning artist will be notified by December 15, 2026 and will receive:
• $500 Cash Award
• High Resolution Art Scan
• A 2’ x 4’ Street Banner
• Retain ownership and all rights to their artwork
The Georgetown Arts and Culture Program would like to commission an artist to design and install an artistic screening wall in the Light and Water Works Plaza to replace the existing fencing. Call opens November 1st, 2026.
Application Deadline: December 31st, 2026
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Beginning November 1st, 2026, the City of Georgetown’s Arts and Culture Board invites artist proposals for the conceptual design and proposed installation plan of an artistic screening wall in the Light and Water Works District Plaza. The screening wall will serve as a functional and artistic screen for the utility equipment dedicated to the Light and Water Works building.
ELIGIBILITY: This opportunity is open to all professional artists over the age of 18.
BUDGET: A fee of $50,000 will be paid to the artist, which must include all materials and equipment needed to install the artwork. The selected artist will be responsible for their own travel costs, lodging, and personal liability insurance.
INSTALLATION DATE: Screen wall will be completed and installed by July 31st, 2027.
APPLY: Applications will be submitted through Submittable.com between November 1st, 2026 and December 31st, 2026:
SELECTION: From the entries submitted by the deadline, the Arts and Culture Board will select three finalists for interviews with the design and construction team. Based on the interviews and quality of the proposal, one artist will then be selected to fabricate and install their artwork. Artists will be notified of the final selection by the end of February 2027.
APPLICATION FEE: None
Questions: Contact Amanda Still at 512-930-8471 or Amanda.still@georgetowntexas.gov
ABOUT THE SITE:
The Light & Waterworks District Plaza, which is located between the Georgetown Public Library and the historic Light & Waterworks building, was shaped by extensive planning and public input that started in 2018, following a recommendation from the 2014 Downtown Master Plan. The district is a cornerstone of the City Center project, which was designed to blend and link important civic buildings—including the Library, the historic Light & Waterworks building, the Council & Court building, and City Hall—into a cohesive district. The plaza includes a performance stage, an event lawn and shaded pavilion, a dedicated food truck area, and public art.
The district’s name pays tribute to the neighboring Light and Waterworks powerplant. Built in 1911, the Georgetown Light and Water Works is a historic industrial brick building that supplied essential municipal power and water utilities during the city's early 20th-century growth. It stands as a local landmark for its industrial architecture and anchors a modern civic hub downtown.
Directly adjacent to the screening wall is a permanent sculpture purchased in honor of a retired Assistant City Manager who shaped much of Georgetown’s Arts and Culture fabric. The design of the screening wall must take the materials and color of this sculpture into consideration.
SCHEMATICS AND STRUCTURAL CONSIDERATIONS:
The City of Georgetown will prepare the site for the artist’s installation and supply the concrete foundation, necessary footings, and structural steel posts. But the evaluators do encourage artists to think beyond the placement of the steel posts, as the design does not need to be limited to a series of rectangles. The Arts and Culture Program envisions a collaboration between the artist and the designers during the construction drawing phase to integrate the artist design with the design and placement of the steel posts.
SELECTION CRITERIA: The finalists’ proposals will be selected by the Georgetown Arts and Culture Board based on the following criteria:
• Quality of artistic composition
• Creativity of design in addressing the history of the site
• Artistic ability as demonstrated in examples of work submitted
• Evidence of experience creating durable and sustainable outdoor public art
• Willingness and ability to meet guidelines and contractual deadlines
• Proposed installation strategy and structural considerations
• Functionality of the design to both screen the utility equipment and make a creative statement
• Ability to fulfill submission guidelines
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Each artist may submit only (1) design for consideration. The following will be submitted online through Submittable at https://artsgeorgetown.submittable.com/Submit:
Contact information
• Full Name, address, telephone number, e-mail address
• Concept statement for proposed design
• Image(s) of proposed design
• Artist may submit up to (5) images to communicate proposed design (upload)
Addressed structural considerations
- Proposed installation strategy
- Support materials/Previous work
• Proposals should be accompanied by 5 to 10 images of previous work (upload)
• An artist statement describing experience and interest in creating a mural in Georgetown
• Resume (upload)
ANTICIPATED TIMELINE:
Call for Artist Proposals – November 1st – December 31st
• The Arts and Culture Board will review the design submissions and select three finalists at the January 19th, 2027 Arts and Culture Board meeting.
• January 25th – February 12th, 2027 Interviews conducted
• Artists will be notified of the final selection by late February 2027.
• Artist contract will be executed in early March, 2027 with deposit payment upon contract execution, with acknowledgment of due dates and construction deadlines.
• Site visit required during month of March and prior to submission of construction drawings.
• Construction drawings completed by artist and approved by the design and construction team by the end of March 2027.
• Work to commence by April 1st in preparation for installation on-site summer 2027
• Installation oversight will be facilitated by the City of Georgetown Arts and Culture Program Manager in management collaboration with City of Georgetown Capital Improvements and Covey Planning and Landscape Architecture.
• Installation MUST be completed by July 31st, 2027. This is a grant funded project with a period- of-performance deadline.