A 400-foot-long concrete retaining wall near the south end of downtown Bethesda could soon be home to a mural celebrating the Capital Crescent Trail.
The Bethesda Urban Partnership and the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District are offering $15,000 to the artist they choose for the project.
The groups are accepting renderings of potential mural designs from artists until July 31. They hope to have the mural completed by Oct. 15.
The wall, a retaining wall for the Capital Crescent Trail, stretches along northbound Arlington Road as it approaches Bradley Boulevard. It’s across from a Safeway grocery store.
The mural would appear on a 150- or 200-foot section in the middle of the wall, which is about 10 feet high.
According to a press release announcing the “Paint the Town” contest, artists are encouraged but not required to consider incorporating nature or the Capital Crescent Trail into their designs.
The $15,000 will be provided for the winning artist’s supplies and time. The artist will be required to use paint appropriate for concrete, such as Keim, SherKyl, NovaColor or Golden Artist Colors.
Artists must be at least 18 and residents of Maryland, Washington, D.C., or Virginia.
The “Paint the Town” initiative will include future projects for public art murals around downtown Bethesda. Bethesda Urban Partnership spokesperson Stephanie Coppula said the county-funded nonprofit hopes to find private developers and building owners interested in offering wall space.
