Healthy Waltham seeks mural design for new Community Market

Healthy Waltham is looking for an original mural design to adorn its new Community Market, and the nonprofit is inviting artists of all kinds to submit ideas.

The competition is open to local artists, students, community members and creatives. The winning concept will be painted by a professional mural artist on the market’s 23-by-10-foot exterior wall at 123 Felton St.

The submission deadline is Sept. 30. Digital entries in JPG, PNG or PDF format can be emailed to admin@healthywaltham.onmicrosoft.com. Paper submissions, no larger than 11 by 17 inches, can be mailed to 510 Moody St. Designs should follow roughly a 2:1 scale and will be adjusted to fit the wall.

The market marks a shift in how Healthy Waltham distributes food. Rather than a traditional pantry, it is designed to feel like a grocery store, giving residents access to nutritious food with choice, dignity and respect.

Organizers want the mural to reflect what Healthy Waltham means to the people it serves. They suggest artists consider themes such as food as a right, neighbors supporting one another, physical and mental health, the dignity that comes with choice, Waltham’s diverse cultures and generations, and the market as a welcoming space.

“There is no single ‘right’ way to represent these ideas,” the organization said in its call for entries. “We want to see your vision of what a healthy, caring, and connected community looks like.”

Artwork must be original and created for the competition. Any medium is allowed as long as it can be reproduced on  a large scale. Because designs will be enlarged substantially, artists are asked to avoid excessive fine detail and to limit text to short, legible phrases. Copyrighted characters and logos are not permitted. Each entry should include a two- to three-sentence artist statement.

Email electronic submissions to admin@healthywaltham.onmicrosoft.com or mail paper submissions to 510 Moody St., Waltham, MA 02453.

For questions, contact Healthy Waltham at admin@healthywaltham.onmicrosoft.com.