Public Art

For Artists Interested in Mural Work

The Bridgeport Arts Trail partners, in collaboration with the City of Bridgeport’s Office of Planning and Economic Development, are inviting artists interested in mural work to apply to the 2026 Mural Academy Apprentice Program and to share this opportunity widely.

Over the past four years, Bridgeport’s mural and placemaking projects have helped shape the character of Downtown and neighborhoods across the city. Nearly 50 projects have been completed to date. We are expanding this work to give artists ages 18+ the opportunity to learn both the creative and operational process of producing murals, as well as the steps involved in becoming a muralist.

Artists interested in being considered should complete the application below. If you have questions, please contact the lead for the apprentice program, Suzanne Kachmar, at bridgeportarttrail@gmail.com.

Applications close Sunday, April 19, 2026.

What this application requests: general information about you and your artistic practice, relevant past experience, your bio/CV, and work samples compiled in a single PDF, along with a brief statement describing why you would like to be a part of these projects.
 

Thank you to the sponsorship from the Rotary Club of Bridgeport!

For Interested Lead Mural Artists

The City of Bridgeport, through its Office of Planning & Economic Development (“OPED”), invites lead mural artists and artist teams to participate in the City’s ongoing public art effort through this Request for Expressions of Interest (“RFEI”).

Over the past four years, Bridgeport’s mural and placemaking projects have helped shape the character of Downtown and, more recently, expanded across neighborhoods citywide. Nearly 50 projects have been completed to date. OPED is continuing this work for the upcoming season and is seeking to expand participation beyond last year’s response of 40+ submissions. Artists are encouraged to share this opportunity widely.

Artists interested in being considered should complete the RFEI below. If you have questions, please contact John O’Grodnick.

What this RFEI requests: general information about you and your artistic practice, relevant past experience, your bio/CV, and work samples compiled in a single PDF, along with a brief statement describing why you would like to be a part of these projects.

Hello!

The Office of Planning and Economic Development (OPED) has been working the past few years with The Downtown Social Services District (DSSD) to beautify downtown Bridgeport with public art. We worked with several building owners to make sure planned murals were in line with their business vision to make their property stand out. Positive and excited reactions were heard from all building owners we worked with.

This year, we want to expand our projects throughout the City of Bridgeport to spread the beauty of art into all neighborhoods. Our mission is to complete one to two projects per area of Bridgeport. We want you to be a part of the history we are making here in our beloved city. We would like to hear from you stating your interest in being part of this amazing program. If you are interested, we will schedule a meeting to go over a short list of artists we feel are a good match for your property. Afterwards, we take over the reins and schedule the project in an agreed upon timeframe. Please note: answering this email is not a commitment, it is to showcase your interest.

We thank you for your time, and please do not hesitate to email with any questions. We look forward to hearing from you.

Please fill out the brief form. 

Welcome, Everyone!
First of all, thank you to everyone that submitted last year and congrats to all the artists that were awarded projects! Over the past three years, our projects graced the heart of Downtown and last year started to spread our projects throughout the entire city! We are very happy to announce our mission to beautify Bridgeport is back for another year! Three years in and close to 40 projects completed so far in this great city. Aiming for 10 more this year so please spread the word. We received a little over 60 submissions last year and we are hoping to double that this time around,

To all the passionate artists out there, we extend a warm invitation to participate in this creative journey by engaging with the Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) provided below. If you have any questions please reach out to John O'Grodnick.

Your enthusiastic responses are eagerly anticipated, and we are excited to welcome you to join our remarkable lineup of artists who have significantly contributed to the rich cultural tapestry of our city over the past three years!

*In this RFEI we are asking you for general information about you and your art career, past experience, your BIO/CV, examples of past work in a PDF and why you would like to be apart of our projects.