The Community Canvas: Using Micro-Murals to Launch Public Artists and Brighten Neighborhoods
- cstanleycreative
- Sep 18, 2025
- 9 min read
In 2018, a friend of ours sent my husband (then boyfriend) Christian, a call for artists for an electrical box project in an area called Ivanhoe Village, Orlando. At the time, he was working as a graphic designer, and while he aspired to be a full time working artist, he felt like “no one actually gets to do that”.
He did not see a path forward, and so he was primarily painting canvases for his own enjoyment, then going into his desk job everyday, and putting the dream of being a working artist on hold. Knowing nothing about the art industry at the time, it got me wondering, how does one get started? What are pathways for earning as an artist?
We sat down together and brainstormed a concept for the electrical box. Happily, Christian got selected, and that was the very first step that launched his career and our business. That one little project started us down a path that changed our lives for the better.
We are not alone in this experience. Micro-mural projects like electrical boxes are fantastic entry points for artists looking to grow their careers in the direction of murals and public art. Additionally, these programs brighten neighborhoods, can increase foot traffic for businesses, and allow for local artist voices to help develop community identity in a space.
What is a Micro-Mural Program?
Public artwork does not need to be large to be impactful. Large murals or sculptures can carry a hefty price tag (and rightfully so). While these projects are fantastic for making a big splash in an area, not all public art has to be larger than life. If a public art program is operating on a smaller budget, bringing color to a space can be accomplished through a program with mini murals.
Programs that make use of mini-murals often run them as a series in which multiple artists are selected and given a space to paint for a stipend. The surfaces on which the art is being installed can vary with what is already available in the space, or can be something that can easily be transported or removed from the space. Let’s talk examples:
Electric Utility Boxes
These are by far the most common examples of mini murals that I have seen. It seems like every city has some form of this taking place. Near almost all intersections with a stoplight, there will be a metal electric utility box. These eyesores are the perfect opportunity for artwork to be applied.
I have noticed that calls for art relating to electrical boxes are trending away from paint and moving towards vinyl wraps. Personally, I think this is a great idea for a number of reasons. Wraps can be removed and replaced much easier than paint can. If a piece gets tagged or starts looking faded from the sun, the artwork can easily be removed and refreshed with either a reprint or a new call for art. Additionally, not all newbie public artists are going to know about what materials/ paint should be used on a metal surface. Using a vinyl wrap is going to give the program more insight and control on the quality of the final look. Lastly, if going the wrap route, it opens up the floor for photographers to participate as well, and can thus add variety to the program’s collection.
If you are looking to get into public art in the form of murals, electrical boxes are a great entry point. If painting, a small electrical box is still providing you with an opportunity to practice scaling up your artwork. If prepping your art for vinyl wrap printing, this is also a great learning opportunity and a chance to ask questions and learn from the process. Calls with wraps are becoming more and more common, so it is not a bad idea to learn how to set your files up for large scale print.
Some Considerations for arts coordinators:
Who in the government needs to approve or sign off on the project? (City/ County/ State/ DOT?) What is the typical timeline for their approval process?
Is the area prone to vandalism? How do you plan to protect the work?
Vinyl wrap or painted method?
What is the exit strategy? When will the artwork be removed or replaced? How?
Some Considerations for artists:
Are they asking for digital files of artwork or in-person painting?
Are there vents or other obstructions on the surface that I would need to plan around?
Is the electrical box rusted?
What are the expectations for me to protect the artwork when completed?
Park Benches and Planters
Many downtown areas have benches and planters already in place. They might be looking a bit worn, and perhaps a giving them a few years with artwork is a good idea before they are replaced. If these surfaces are concrete, give them a good pressure washing, let them dry, and then consult your local paint rep for the best way to seal, prime, and then top coat these planters and benches.
These are high-wear surfaces, meaning people will be sitting on them, grinding skate boards on them, and walking their dogs near them (if you catch my drift). They will not last forever, so have a plan to refresh or remove the artwork built into your plans. As a public art professional running a program on these surfaces, talk to professionals about what you or the artists can do to properly prepare the surfaces, and then protect the artwork afterwards. Keep in mind, newer artists are attracted to these calls, and this will be a great opportunity for everyone involved to learn about surface prep and longevity.
Some Considerations for arts coordinators:
Who is responsible for prepping the surfaces and will you require certain products or procedures be used?
How long do you intend for the artwork to hold up?
What is your exit strategy on the project? When will artwork be removed or replaced?
Some Considerations for artists:
Who is responsible for prepping the surfaces and will you require certain products or procedures be used?
What is the area around the site like? Is it hazardous (traffic etc)?
Will you need to close an area of the sidewalk/ Get a permit for sidewalk closure?
How does your program coordinator want you to protect your work? (Top coat)
Here are some links to programs painting benches:
Outdoor Panels
If you are in a spot where you do not have many utility boxes or benches, you might consider installing art panels. We have participated in a few of these projects, sometimes the panel material is a metal and sometimes it is outdoor rated plywood. The panels are usually size restricted by the material type chosen (often 4’x8’).
For these programs, the arts coordinator speaks with local businesses and building owners, and the panels are temporarily (1-3 years) hung on the buildings around a walkable area. These projects are great for historic districts that want artwork, but do not want paint on their historic brick surfaces.
These projects are also fantastic for boosting foot traffic. Program coordinators can create a mini-mural map, put signage next to each piece, and create a walkable scavenger hunt for all of the new art pieces. It generates excitement around an area, gets people out walking past businesses, and gives artists a chance to create a public art piece that will build their experience and get their name out there for additional work.
Some Considerations for arts coordinators:
How do you plan to hang the pieces?
What materials will work best for your outdoor environment?
Where will the artists create the work? Onsite or offsite?
Consider your exit strategy: What happens to the panels once the program concludes?
Some Considerations for artists:
Are you able to transport the art, or do you need to paint it once it is hung?
If you are painting on site, what can you do to ensure that you will not get paint or overspray on the surrounding surfaces?
What materials will be best for priming the surface (metal may require different prep)?
Can you create a piece that will speak to the neighborhood?
Example Program:
This is one that we have participated in years ago. We painted the panel on site after it was hung, and it was a part of the first round of panels in the program. Since then, there have been additional calls for artists and the program has continued to brighten the Ivanhoe area.
Painted Sculpture Mascots
This option is a little more costly, but also I think it tends to be very well received in communities. It is becoming more common for towns to choose a mascot or symbol that represents the area, purchase fiberglass sculptures of said figures, and then hire painters to decorate these mascots and place them around town.
Often these sculptures are sponsored by businesses, which would then have the sculpture placed outside of their business for a designated period of time (or indefinitely, depending on how you run your program).
A prime example of this is the Horse Fever project in Ocala, Florida. We participated in this project for the 2020 round of horses, and it was a fun way for us to create something a bit out of the ordinary for our portfolio.
The Horse Fever folks had been running their program for quite some time, so they had their procedures down. We painted the horse sculpture off site and had to transport it to and from our studio space in Orlando on a trailer. When complete, the horses were covered in an automotive clear coat, and then mounted to concrete sculpture bases meant to withstand hurricane conditions.
One of my favorite public art mishaps centers around a mermaid sculpture that was a part of one such program. The intense power of a hurricane swept the mermaid and her half ton sculpture base up the Weeki Wachee river. This river has long leaned into mermaid lore, and the pictures and video of the sculpture floating upright and heading upstream, was the stuff of legends. Luckily, she was found and returned. You can read more here:
The following link is for a company I found online that makes fiberglass sculptures for public art projects. I have not used their services myself, but I found their information interesting. You may find this as a good launching point:
Structuring Your Call
When structuring a call for artists on a micro mural project, I would encourage you to think back to your goals for the work. If you are trying to uplift a community, local artists are the way to go. Calls of this size are unlikely to attract national attention, but you never know. These are good projects to nurture your local art scene with and give emerging artists a chance to get their foot in the door with public art. Locals only might mean restricting the call to people of your city, county, or state.
Referring to your goals again, I would encourage you to take the RFQ route for a call, even on these small projects. If you are unfamiliar with the difference between RFPs and RFQs, please check out my links here:
Just because you are operating on a smaller budget, does not mean artists should be making work for free. Find a way to give SOME compensation for design work upfront. Emerging artists may not have mural experience, but they should have some work to show that can help you make your selection.
If you have $6,000 allocated to pay artists you could break it down as follows:
$1,000 per mini mural x 5 mini murals = $5,000
Take the remaining $1,000 and split it up among 8 finalists to develop designs. Choose these finalists based on their previous work samples and pay each $125 for their design time to create concepts for your project.
It is not much, but it is something. You are training these artists to not devalue their time and work, as well as training others in the community that look to the arts organization for norms, that artists work is valued. You are setting the tone, so please be thoughtful. The goal should not be “how many murals can I squeeze out of artists for the least amount of money?”. It should be, “how can I take the budget that I have to ethically support the community, both artists and residents of the area?”
To wrap things up, mini murals are a fantastic way to bring some life and personality to a neighborhood. You do not have to have a huge budget or a big blank wall to have a public art program. Sometimes these smaller art projects are excellent entry points for artists to launch into public art. These projects both nurture the local art scene, as well as support businesses with increased foot traffic, and just make places more enjoyable to live and work.
I hope that you have found this helpful, and if you are prepping to launch a program, I would love to hear about it!
If you’d like more resources, tips, and tools for navigating public art opportunities, sign up for my newsletter or follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok (@paletteforthepeople). Let’s keep building a stronger, more transparent public art world together.
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