City seeks artists to help revitalize Paul Mall Alley

Attention local artists! The downtown needs some revitalizing, and Future SSM and the Sault Ste. Marie Downtown Association are asking you to help out.  

There are currently six artwork display panels located in the Paul Mall Alley that are in need of revamping as part of FutureSSM’s larger Community Art Project, providing an opportunity for Saultites to have their work featured in a public forum and promoted to both locals and visitors.  

“The project aims to provide a welcoming and attractive corridor to the downtown, celebrate local history, promote arts and culture, support local artists and create economic opportunities through the City Art Tour currently in development,” said Todd Fleet, arts and culture coordinator, in a news release. “Public art is a great way to promote a sense of identity and community. Selections for the panels will be representative of the rich cultural diversity that Sault Ste. Marie enjoys. The idea is to connect artists to their community, showcase the vibrancy of the downtown to visitors while enhancing opportunities for artwork sales and commissions.”  

Local and regional artists are invited to submit one current piece of work to be reproduced that represents their artistic style, along with their biographies and contact/web/social media details to be included in the display units. Panels will be rotated throughout the year for maximum exposure. All artists selected will receive an artist fee of $150 for a three-month display period, and if an extended showing is requested, the artist will receive an additional $50 monthly fee for each month their work is displayed.   

For the first intake, artists should send a link to their current bio, portfolio and related details to:   

[email protected]
Subject: Paul Mall Display Project Call for Artists
Attn: Todd Fleet, arts and culture coordinator, Future SSM
Community Development and Enterprise Services Dept.
City of Sault Ste. Marie  

The deadline to apply is Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020.