The City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division is seeking artist’s proposals for a hand-painted pride mural on an exterior wall at City Hall located at 8300 Santa Monica Boulevard. The proposed mural will celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride in West Hollywood. The term of the exhibition is expected to begin on May 15, 2022 and conclude in May 2023.
For more information on the city’s Grant Program, click here.
Additional opportunities may also be accessed by joining the West Hollywood Artist Opportunity Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/wehoartists.
The new pride mural will be replacing the “You’re All Welcome Here” piece by Mike Stilkey. The 10 x 25 foot hand-painted pride mural was installed on August 18, 2019 and was supposed to run until June 30, 2021.
You’re All Welcome Here illustrates the City’s all-inclusive joie de vivre. The City is one that celebrates its people, their spirit and energy, and their uniqueness’s and talents. In this work, unique animal characters dance together exuberantly atop a rainbow crosswalk. Each character is singular in their appearance while simultaneously exuding connection in unison with each other. Anthropomorphism is a strong theme in the artist’s work. The artist notes “when we can recognize the connection points between ourselves, whether animal or human, it also helps us value the diverse gifts that all of us bring to our life experience.”
Mike Stilkey (b. 1975) lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. He has always been attracted to painting and drawing on vintage paper, record covers and book pages, and also on the books themselves. Using a mix of ink, colored pencil, paint and lacquer, Stilkey depicts a melancholic and at times a whimsical cast of characters inhabiting ambiguous spaces and narratives of fantasy and fairy tales. A lingering sense of loss and longing hints at emotional depth and draws the viewer into their introspective thrall with a mixture of capricious poetry, wit, and mystery. His work is reminiscent of Weimar-era German expressionism and his style has been described by some as capturing features of artists ranging from Edward Gorey to Egon Schiele.
To learn more information about the City of West Hollywood and its arts programs visit www.weho.org/arts.
