Avenue NYC Beautification Mural Request for Applications

The Asian American Federation (AAF) is pleased to announce a Request for Applications (RFA) process for its mural project in Murray Hill, Flushing, Queens. Since 2017, AAF has been the only organization with a small business services sector for the Asian community in Queens. With the help of Avenue NYC, a NYC Small Business Services program, AAF is looking to beautify and revitalize the commercial corridor of Murray Hill in order to attract not just tourists, but New Yorkers who may be unfamiliar with the area. Avenue NYC is a citywide initiative that aims to provide grants to community-based organizations to carry out programs targeting commercial districts in low and moderate income communities.

AAF is seeking applications from eligible artists to create and execute a mural in the Murray Hill Food Alley area of Flushing, Queens, NY

This work is part of an Avenue NYC Commercial Revitalization Grant awarded by the New York City Department of Small Business Services.

Mural in the Commercial District
Murray Hill is a largely minority owned business district with a strong CBO presence. Our desired placemaking for the mural is specifically in the Murray Hill Food Alley, which has unique Korean cultural characteristics. The businesses in Murray Hill were hit especially hard during the COVID pandemic, forcing many legacy businesses to close down. AAF is working diligently to revitalize this neighborhood, and believes that a mural can play an important role in doing so.

Requirements

Eligibility Requirements
This request open to artists that meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Based in New York City
• Have experience working with Asian communities
• 5+ years of relevant experience
• Fluency in Korean or Chinese preferred

Grantee Expectations

• Attend an orientation
• Work closely with the Commercial Corridor Revitalization Program Manager
• Develop timeline for artwork and completion of mural with AAF
• Submit 1-2 stories to AAF about a community member who has benefited from the service (no identifying information required in the stories)
• Submit weekly updates to AAF

Selection Criteria
All applications for the Beautification program will be evaluated by a selection committee composed of AAF staff, NYC SBS, and the property owner. The following factors will be considered when reviewing proposals:

• Relationship with the project
• Proof of punctuality/attention to detail
• Experience working with multiple parties simultaneously

The selection committee reserves the right to request additional information from applicants before making final decisions. All decisions are final.

If you have any questions about the project, please email david.sim@aafederation.org.

Application Instructions

Please submit a completed application to david.sim@aafederation.org by Monday, January 23, 2023 at 11:59 pm ET in order to express your interest in the Avenue NYC project. The application can be found here.