SawMural 2027 Albuquerque: $4,000 Mini-Mural Commissions for Local Artists, Apply by 13 November
Up to twenty paid public-art places on the Rail Trail
The City of Albuquerque's Public Art Urban Enhancement Division is recruiting artists for the inaugural SawMural! Mini-Mural Festival. This public-art programme will transform an approximately 1,000-foot portion of the Sawmill section of Albuquerque's Rail Trail into an open-air exhibition. Applications are due by Friday, November 13, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Mountain local time.
Up to 20 individuals or teams will be invited to develop original works for outdoor displays in 2027. Organisers supply a marine-grade plywood panel approximately 48 inches high by 72 inches wide (four by six feet) for each selected artist or team; works are scheduled to be installed in May and remain on display through August 2027. This is a site-aware neighbourhood art opportunity, not an online-only digital-arts competition.
Four-county residency restriction
The application is restricted to legal residents of the greater Albuquerque area in one of four New Mexico counties: Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance or Valencia. Proof of residence is required from finalists. Artists outside these counties should not treat this as a nationwide or global open call.
Artists should be familiar with the community context of the former sawmill and Rail Trail corridor. The jury considers artistic quality, the applicant's understanding of local people and place, past artistic work and practical ability to complete the commission within its budget. Applicants of varied artistic styles may apply if their work can meet the display requirements.
Artist fee and what must be produced
Each selected individual artist or artist team receives a US$4,000 commission to produce and install the specified mini-mural. This amount is tied to fabrication and installation responsibilities, so teams need to account for materials, travel, labour and other project expenses when deciding whether the work is viable. Up to three of the finished designs may later be selected for the City's permanent public-art collection, with additional cash prizes to be announced for top designs.
Works must be two-dimensional and suitable for broad public audiences, without reliance on electrical connections for lighting. Although digital image-making may inform an artist's broader practice, the opportunity is for a physical two-dimensional outdoor mural; it does not fund stand-alone screen-based installations or projection mapping.
RFQ submission: show your record, not a finished proposed design
Apply through the CaFÉ (CallForEntry) platform linked from the city page. The RFQ requires a cover letter of up to 500 words about the artist's interest; a current resume documenting artistic experience; up to seven images of previously completed artwork; and an image key identifying each work's title, year, dimensions and materials.
The city explicitly instructs artists not to submit a new proposed design at the qualifications stage. If artificial intelligence was used to generate any submitted image, that use must be disclosed in the image key. The announcement recommends early submission because staff technical assistance will not be available after midday on the deadline date.
Organizer background and applicant safeguards
The organizer is the City of Albuquerque Public Art Urban Enhancement Division, which runs the municipal public-art programme and displays past projects and public-art collection information. The SawMural event contributes to the city's larger Rail Trail project, a proposed seven-mile urban corridor connecting neighbourhoods and cultural destinations.
Because the call, jury criteria, designated panels, legal residency rules and a named city project coordinator are published directly on the municipal website, applicants have several independent ways to check the process. Do not pay a third-party 'registration fee' or supply sensitive information through an unofficial impersonation site. There is no guarantee that every eligible applicant will receive a commission.
Official application and schedule
City of Albuquerque SawMural RFQ and CaFÉ application link: https://www.cabq.gov/artsculture/public-art/for-artists/opportunities-for-artists/sawmural
Application deadline: 13 November 2026, 11:59 p.m. New Mexico time. Organiser details and eligibility checked 18 October 2026.