Cultural Affairs Office

Press and Communications

December 2, 2022 -- The Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA) in partnership with the Houston Public Library System is seeking submissions from artists and artist teams to design, fabricate, and install a permanent work of public art for the new Montrose Library. The call is open to all artists and artist-teams living or working in the United States who are over 18 years of age.

"Service to the community is the primary focus of my administration, and every day we push to find new ways to make a difference throughout Houston. Integrating a new library location into a mixed-used development is a big step forward in meeting communities where they are," said The Mayor. "This artwork will live in the new Montrose Library to showcase the vibrant character and history of the area and to highlight and celebrate the rich diversity of our Houston neighborhoods."

Housed in the heart of Montrose within the new Montrose Collective development located at 1001 California Street, the Montrose Library will feature reading areas, technology access, a children’s area, a teen area, and meeting spaces. This opportunity seeks an interior work of art that will tell the story and history of Montrose by engaging with the library collections, services, staff, and community.

A model of the New Montrose Library located at 1001 California Street, Houston, TX 77006

A historically LGBTQIA+ community, Montrose is a dynamic and vibrant neighborhood. This opportunity is fitting for artists whose body of work celebrates the neighborhood’s unique history. Artworks should express themes of literacy, courage, soul, and collaboration. Surface application with relief/sculptural elements, light-based media, non-traditional installations and murals/2D work will all be considered.

Houston Arts Alliance (HAA), in collaboration with MOCA, will manage the artist selection process for this investment in public art, which has a reserved budget of $85,000. For the first time ever, HAA is offering support for artist applicants speaking Spanish.

Interested artists and artists teams should submit their qualifications and artwork samples to HAA, here, by Monday, January 9, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. CST. Para asistencia en Español, haga clic aquí.

About The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs
The City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA) guides the City’s cultural investments with policies and initiatives that expand access to arts and cultural programs in the community, attract visitors and leverage private investment. Learn more at www.houstontx.gov/culturalaffairs and follow us on Facebook & Instagram @HoustonMOCA.

About the Houston Public Library System
The Houston Public Library System is a dynamic organization that serves one of the largest service areas—both population and area—in the country. The system operates 41 public service units including 27 Neighborhood Libraries, 5 Regional Libraries, 3 History Research Centers, 2 Express Libraries, the HPL Mobile Express, 3 TECHLink locations and a satellite location at the Children’s Museum of Houston. Our Downtown Houston flagship facility, Central Library, along with the Barbara Bush Literacy Plaza, anchors this constellation of service points. HPL is committed to equitable access to information and programs in an increasingly digital age. For further information, visit the Houston Public Library at www.houstonlibrary.org, call 832-393-1313, follow us on Twitter or Facebook @houstonlibrary or on Instagram @houstonpubliclibrary.

About Houston Arts Alliance
Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) is a local arts and culture organization whose principal work is to implement the City of Houston’s vision, values, and goals for its arts grantmaking and civic art investments. HAA also executes privately funded special projects to meet the needs of the arts community, such as disaster preparation, research on the state of the arts in Houston, and temporary public art projects that energize neighborhoods. To learn more about HAA, visit www.houstonartsalliance.com and follow us on Facebook & Instagram @HoustonArtsAlliance.