Mural Proposals

We hope that this collaborative art will help residential spaces feel more personalized. Please review the following information before submitting a mural proposal.

Mural Guidelines and Approval Process

Proposals may be submitted on a rolling basis throughout the academic year, but will only be reviewed when classes are in session to ensure all committee members are available to participate. Proposals will be reviewed by the Residence Life Mural Committee (Director of Housing, Area Coordinator & House Adviser of the area group of proposed location, and student representatives).

If the committee agrees to move forward with a proposal, the next step is a required meeting with committee members and the student(s) who submitted the proposal. This meeting provides an opportunity for the committee to make recommendations and ask questions, as well as giving the student(s) proposing the mural a chance to explain their plan in more detail or receive clarification about the process. A timeline for completing the work would also be discussed during this meeting.

Murals will be approved based on the following criteria:

  • The mural’s appropriateness for public space on campus, and specifically for the proposed location. Preference will be given to locations that are not already painted or decorated and that are visible to the entire community
  • The amount of preparedness on the part of the applicant; and the perceived ability of the applicant to complete the mural on schedule. PLEASE NOTE: It is critical that the mural proposal be an accurate representation of the proposed artwork. The committee will not consider proposals that do not show completed, detailed sketches with accurate colors, dimensions, and materials.
  • Designs that support an inclusive community and are honorable
  • Priority will be given to designs that are collaborative

The committee will inform the applicant(s) of their decision within two weeks of completing the in-person meeting. Students who are approved to create a mural will need to work in collaboration with Residence Life and Facilities.  Completing the mural must not disrupt the community or building residents. The mural must be finished within the established time frame. If the mural is not finished in the agreed upon time frame, the mural may be removed and the proposal approval may be revoked.

Residence Life will do their best to make sure that approved murals stay up at least three years after completion, unless the mural is damaged or removal of the mural is voted on by a majority vote of the the Mural Committee. If a mural becomes damaged or defaced, Facilities will attempt to repair the mural as needed, making a good faith effort to maintain the mural integrity if at all possible.

Residence Life will finance the supplies needed to complete the mural, but will not compensate students for their labor.

Students must stick to their original proposal or complete a new one. If students do not follow these instructions, Residence Life will not pay for their supplies, and will request that Facilities remove any work that is completed without approval.

Questions regarding the murals process can be sent to res-life@reed.edu.

Note: This process is only applicable for murals in the Residence Halls. If you are interested in creating a mural elsewhere on campus, please refer to the Campus Mural Guidelines.

Mural Proposals Must Include

  • Design proposal (drawn, photographed, digital, etc.
  • Materials needed (including estimated cost) & Facilities assistance requested
  • Names of students  who will complete the mural work
  • Timeline of when the work will occur and be completed
  • Location of proposed mural

Submit a Proposal

Submit a proposal here