Silk Lofts Mural Artist

Real Silk Hosiery Historic Mural Project

Project Budget: $50,000

Friday, January 30, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. (EDT) This is an e-mail/upload deadline.

The mural project has been organized by a group of homeowners in three buildings (Real Silk Lofts and Mill 9 Phases 1 and
2) to beautify the neighborhood and call attention to the history of Real Silk Hosiery. The Chatham Arch Neighborhood Foundation is partnering as the fiscal agent for the project, which has been funded through individual donors and a generous matching grant from the Efroymson Family Fund.

Five murals (each approximately 12 feet w. x 14 feet h.) will be painted on concrete block insets on the north-facing wall of the Real Silk Lofts garage. These were once large windows and are still framed by the original brick. Each mural is to replicate one 1920s-era Real Silk advertising artwork, which appeared in print ads at the time.

• To reflect the history of Real Silk Hosiery by reproducing 1920s vintage advertising artwork
• To beautify the property and the surrounding Chatham Arch neighborhood
• To add historically significant public art in downtown Indianapolis adjacent to the Indianapolis Cultural Trail

To qualify for this project, artists must:

• Be 18 years of age or older
• Work as a professional artist or artist team
• Live in Central Indiana (Marion and the seven surrounding counties)
• Carry liability insurance for the duration of the project
• Be willing to meet all contractual obligations and adhere to a strict timeline

The Selection Committee will give preference to artists who:

• Have created public art, large-scale works, or exterior projects
• Demonstrate ability in portraiture or realism
• Have experience exactly replicating existing artwork

The budget for the project is $50,000 (5 murals at $10,000 each). The artist is expected to budget all materials, labor, and small equipment (brushes, tarps, projector, etc.) needed to complete the commission within this amount.

The budget provided does not include site preparation, as the Real Silk/Mill 9 Homeowner Group/CANF will ensure that the site is ready for the artwork. Homeowner Group/CANF will also pay the expense of lift rental for the duration of the project as well as the lift rental and generator for any initial tracing of the base drawing onto the wall (as needed).

January 30, 2026 Deadline to submit artist qualifications

February 9, 2026 Artist notifications

February 20, 2026 Agreement reached on timing of work and a commissioning contract executed

Within season/2026 Project completed

Please apply by emailing the following material as a single PDF document (not larger than 20MB) to

• Applicant Information: Name of artist, name(s) of any partner(s), contact address, contact email, contact phone #, social media handles/info
• Professional Bio, Resume or CV: No longer than 3 pages
• Work Samples: Provide up to 5 images of past work that best represent your experience, style, and ability as it relates to this project, particularly demonstrating skill at copying existing artwork. You may also submit images of any other mural work (preferably outdoors) that best represents your practice over the past 5 years. Include a list of the work samples with as much information about each of the samples as possible (include name/title of piece, location, medium, process, dimensions, year completed, cost/price/commission amount, and any other pertinent information).

All required materials must be delivered electronically by 5:00pm (EDT) on Friday, January 30, 2026.