The mission of the Waynesville Public Art Commission is to engage the community and enrich public spaces through original art that celebrates Waynesville’s unique historic, cultural, natural and human resources.
November 15, 2007
CALL FOR ARTISTS – Request for Qualifications
The Public Art Commission of Waynesville, North Carolina, is issuing a call for artists for its inaugural public art project. The theme for Waynesville’s first Public art commission is Old Time Music and its cultural impact in the region.
Artist eligibility: The Call is open to all artists residing in the 25 counties that comprise the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area: Cherokee, Graham, Clay, Swain, Macon, Jackson, Haywood, Transylvania, Madison, Buncombe, Henderson, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Burke, Caldwell, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Surry, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey.
The project: a unique and durable work of art, designed to stand up to environmental factors, to be installed at the juncture of Main Street and Miller Street in downtown Waynesville and integrated into the existing landscaping at that location.
Application deadline: January 15, 2008
Art project commission: The commission to the selected artist is $20,000. This commission includes all costs to the artist: i.e., materials, the art piece, mounting materials, installation, artwork shipping, insurance, travel and sales tax.
Application review process: All applications will be reviewed by the Waynesville Public Arts Commission which will choose three finalists. The three finalists will each be paid a stipend of $500 to present sketches and/or models to a committee of citizens and town officials selected for their knowledge of public art installations, artistic knowledge and community history.
Artist services: The following activities will be required – Proposal development Fabrication and installation
Art project schedule: 1. Application deadline: January 15, 2008 2. Finalist Artist notification: February 15, 2008 3. Finalist presentations: April 26, 2008 4. Artist notification: May 9, 2008 5. Artist reception: May 29, 2008 6. Fabrication complete: October 30, 2008 7. Installation: November 3 to 6, 2008 8. Unveiling and Grand Reception: November 7, 2008
Background Information:
The earliest known music happening in the Waynesville area is a gathering in 1818 of 120 singers in front of the Haywood County Courthouse. Today we celebrate this tradition of old time music at our street dances, art festivals and at the annual Smoky Mountain Folk Festival, which began in Waynesville in 1972, and through the many individual musicians and groups who keep the tradition alive.
Our mountain music tradition includes fiddlers, banjo players, string bands, ballad singers, guitar and mandolin players, dulcimer players, cloggers, bagpipers, and storytellers. Many performers come from a long family tradition and continue playing time-honored tunes.
Jennifer Pratt, a Haywood County librarian, has written “The music speaks of their homes and of their wild places. The treasured melodies and fiddle tunes are handed from family to family, preserving the past and enriching the future.”
“To place a value on the future, we must appreciate the foundations of our past. The human spirit of all those who came first to this land have provided us with a rich culture that will continue to nourish future generations.” Bob Brannon, past Chairman of the Waynesville Recreation Commission and one of the founders of the Smoky Mountain Folk Festival.
As Emily Trantham has written about the Smoky Mountain Folk Festival – “Today the Festival houses a cross-section of music from throughout this area’s history. It is a beautiful expression and realization that folk music is always changing.” Emily is one of the newest performers in a long history of Trantham family music.
Complete application instructions are available at the Waynesville Town website at www.townofwaynesville.org.
Rollover Public Art button at top of page and activate Request for Qualifications, Pac Application Process, Site Map and Photo Gallery.
Application instructions may also be obtained by calling the Downtown Waynesville Association at 828 456-3517 or emailing
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The Waynesville Public Art Commission reserves the right to refuse any or all submissions, to refuse any finalist, to waive informalities in proposals or procedures, or to withhold the award of a commission should it be determined that submissions are not adequate, or for any other reason prior to a written contractual arrangement being reached.
Public Art 
Waynesville, North Carolina
The Public Art Commission of Waynesville, North Carolina, is issuing a call for artists for its inaugural public art project. The theme for Waynesville’s first Public art commission is Old Time Music and its cultural impact in the region.
Art project commission: The commission to the selected artist is $20,000. This commission includes all costs to the artist: i.e., materials, the art piece, mounting materials, installation, artwork shipping, insurance, travel and sales tax.