Uptown 23rd District x Route 66 Gateway Mural

Friends of Uptown Foundation seeks an artist or team of artists to design and install a mural that celebrates the historic district’s connection to Route 66 at 305 NW 23rd Street in Oklahoma City.

To apply, artists were required to submit a statement, highlighting their experience and connection to the district and/or Route 66, as well as, their approach to designing and installing their prospective mural. An official design is not required at the time of submission. However, artists were to submit relevant past work examples.

Artists were encouraged to research and be familiarized with Historic Uptown 23rd, Route 66, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, as well as the regulations from OKC’s Urban Design Commission and OKC’s certificate of approval guidelines.

The 53-foot-wide, 18-foot-tall mural must:

• Showcase historical relevance of Uptown 23rd and Route 66, reflecting the spirit of the Oklahoma Standard.

• Welcome and draw visitors into the district.

• Use color theory, symbolism or text to encourage community engagement.

Artists may use this Uptown x Route 66 Brand Kit as a resource for inspiration, but are not limited to any specific styles, colors, etc. Artists are free to interpret the theme as they see fit.

Qualifications were due by September 13th at 11:59pm. Next phase: 3-5 finalists will be chosen by committee from this Request for Qualifications no later than October 1st, 2026. Artist/teams will then be invited to submit a Request for Proposal outlining their official mural pitch. Finalists will be awarded a $1,000 stipend for completing the Request for Proposal (one stipend per artist/artist team).

The total Artist Award of $30,000 includes all costs of artist fees, mural design and revisions, materials, installation, city permits and application fees.

The Friends of Uptown Foundation Board will select the chosen artist or artist team from finalists for the Gateway Mural Project.