open calls to artists
Carl Perkins Civic Center Murals | Application Deadline November 17
Location: The Carl Perkins Civic Center
Budget: $17,000 - $21,000
Honorarium: $300 each for 3 finalists
Qualification Submission Due Date: November 17, 2026, by 11:59 p.m.
Artist Eligibility: West Tennessee-based artist or artist teams
Overview:
Our Jackson Home, in partnership with the City of Jackson, is seeking qualifications from artists or artist teams based in West Tennessee to design and create a cohesive public art installation consisting of eight individual mural panels at the entrance of the Carl Perkins Civic Center in Jackson, TN.
The project aims to transform the exterior entrance of the Civic Center through eight exterior murals installed on prepared 7 ft. x 10 ft. metal panels. Each mural panel will be permanently installed in lit divided sections, with four panels on the right side of the entrance, and four panels on the left side (see site photos).
The selected artist will develop eight individual mural designs that function both independently as well as part of a unified installation. The artwork should reflect the breadth and diversity of the Civic Center’s history and current use. The project is intended to create a compelling entrance that encourages visitors and residents alike to learn about the many ways the building has and continues to serve as a place for recreation, community gathering, entertainment, civic activity, and more for the past five decades.
Eligibility:
Professional individual artists or artist teams based in West Tennessee and are 18 years old or older are welcome to apply.
Artists or artist teams must demonstrate their ability to complete a project of this scope through their past work. The ideal artist(s) for this project would have experience in public art, murals, large-scale painting, painting on exterior surfaces, site-specific and/or commissioned artwork.
Jaxon Station Painted Concrete Seating | Application Deadline November 17
Location: Jaxon Station Train Depot
Budget: $5,400 - $7,000 for chosen artist
Honorarium: $300 each for 3 finalists
Qualification Submission Due Date: November 17, 2026, by 11:59 p.m.
Artist Eligibility: Artist or artist teams whose primary residence is in Madison, Gibson, Carroll, Henderson, Chester, Hardeman, Haywood, or Crockett counties
Overview:
Our Jackson Home, in partnership with the City of Jackson, is seeking qualifications from artists or artist teams based in Madison County, or counties immediately surrounding Madison County, to design and paint artwork onto concrete seating for Jaxon Station, the former Jackson Train Depot and Railroad Museum in Jackson, Tennessee.
The project will create a permanent piece of functional public art that provides seating for visitors while contributing to the visual and cultural identity of the area. As more activities and events continue to take place in the area, there is a need for additional seating for visitors, and an opportunity for an artist(s) to put their mark on the space that reflects the culture and history of the area.
The selected artist(s) will create original designs and paint artwork on concrete seating. The chosen artist will also be expected to propose a shape of the seating, to be created by a local concrete fabricator already selected by Our Jackson Home. The artist is not responsible for fabricating the seating, but will simply have creative input on the final shape that aligns with their artistic vision and compliments their design concept.
The selected artist(s) should be prepared to participate in meetings and communication with the concrete fabricator, Our Jackson Home, and the City of Jackson to develop the final seat forms together. Because the artist will simply provide creative input in the shape and placement of the seating, the chosen artist is not required to have any background in sculpture to be awarded this project.
The intended result is to have a cohesive installation that functions as both public seating and a unified piece of public art that reflects the environment in which they’ll be permanently installed.
Eligibility:
Professional individual artists or artist teams based in Madison County or immediate surrounding counties and are 18 years old or older are welcome to apply.
Artists or artist teams must demonstrate their ability to complete a project of this scope through their past work. Experience with one or more of the following is preferred: public art, murals, painting on exterior surfaces, large-scale painting, commissioned painting.
Our Jackson Home facilitates ArtWorks public art workshops throughout the year for local artists, design professionals, and creatives who are interested in transforming our shared spaces through art.
Mural Open Call Q&As | Nov. 5
Local artists, we invite you to attend a Virtual Q&A or an in person Q&A if you are interested in being the artist or artist team for the Carl Perkins Civic Center murals project or the Jaxon Station Seating project.
Civic Center Virtual Q&A: 12pm on Zoom
Jaxon Station Virtual Q&A: 11am on Zoom
In person Q&A for both projects: 5pm at theCO (541 Wiley Parker Rd)
ArtWorks: creative careers panel discussion | nov. 12 | 6pm
Jackson is full of talented artists, makers, and creative entrepreneurs—but how do you turn your creative passion into a sustainable career?
Join Our Jackson Home for a conversation with local creatives who have used theCO’s resources, connections, and support to grow their practices into businesses. Whether you’re just starting out or ready to take your creative business to the next level, discover the tools, opportunities, and community that can help you make a real income by creating what you love.
The panelists you'll hear from are:
Lisa Garner, CEO of theCO and owner of Garner Blue Shop
Bryce Miller, founder of Earth Borne Goods
Samantha Wood, local artist and muralist
Donneka Johnson, owner of Jewels & Gems Art Studio
about the process
HOW ART PROJECTS ARE CHOSEN
We partner with the City of Jackson on all public art projects. We use the following steps outlined in their Public Art Strategic Plan to commission new public art:
Projects are chosen by City of Jackson’s Public Art Commission
Selection Committees are formed for each project (made up of public art commissioners, artists & community members)
Artist call is released
Artists submit applications in response to open call
Selection Committees review & recommend artists
Public Art Commission approves artists and designs
Artwork created & installed
Public unveiling
If you’d like to be part of choosing public art, sign up to be on a selection committee via the link below:
Selection of artists
To ensure the fair and equitable distribution of public art projects each fiscal year, an artists is not allowed to be awarded more than one public art project each year. To read the full policy adopted by the City of Jackson’s Public Art Commission, click the dropdown selection below.
-
Eligible artists may apply to and be considered as finalists for multiple public art projects administered by the City of Jackson’s Public Art Commission within the same fiscal year (July 1 - June 30).
To ensure equitable distribution of opportunities and timely project delivery, an artist or artist team may be awarded only one commissioned public art project per fiscal year through the Public Art Commission.
If an applying artist or artist team is named a finalist for more than one project in the same year, both of the following apply:
The artist(s) may remain under consideration as a finalist for each project they apply for.
Should that artist(s) be awarded a project, they must withdraw from finalist consideration for any additional projects that fiscal year.
All selected artists are welcome and encouraged to continue applying for open calls in subsequent years.
To accommodate this policy, the Public Art Commission reserves the right to expand the number of finalists for a project (up to four finalists) when necessary, including in instances where finalist overlap occurs between projects.
This approach allows artists the ability to apply for multiple projects, be considered as finalists for multiple projects, and ensures fairness and equitable project distribution amongst selected artists within one year. In addition, this approach allows the Public Art Commission to maintain flexibility in the selection process while ensuring fairness, transparency, and the successful completion of each public art project.
past projects
Artist in Residence
The purpose of Our Jackson Home’s Artist in Residence program was to provide these artists and storytellers with opportunities to practice their craft and improve our community, connecting them to funding, resources, and a platform to create their work right here in Jackson, Tennessee.
featured films
Our Jackson Home desires to tell the stories of our community, and one way that has been done is through films. We have created several featured films over the years by local videographers. These films range from documentary to a film version of Porchfest.
Our projects
Our Jackson Home is partnered with the City of Jackson to install new artwork. Check out some of the cool projects we’ve worked on so far.