The Mercer Island Arts Council is looking for an artist to design and paint a mural on an outdoor wall located on West Mercer Way, facing the exit 6 off ramp on Mercer Island.

The mural is meant to be a warm welcome to those visiting or returning home, by beautifying the main wall at the Interstate 90 exit onto the Island.

Artists are asked to submit a draft of their proposed design with their application packet. The project budget is $24,000 for design, materials and execution of the mural, including priming the wall. The application deadline is at 5 p.m. on June 30.

The area is near Aubrey Davis Park, part of the Mountains to Sound Greenway and is a main thoroughfare for vehicle, bicycle and walking traffic.

This project is open to Greater Puget Sound area artists. Regional artists will be considered, but no travel or food stipend will be offered. The mural should be appropriate for all audiences, and must be 100 percent of the artist’s original design, according to the selection criteria.

The selection committee is comprised of seven members and includes artists, a member of the City Council, member of the Arts Council, a member of the Parks and Recreation department and a member of the Mercer Island Design Commission.

The artwork must also be approved by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT, after finalists are chosen and coordinated by city staff. No words or reflective material can be on the mural, and the color of the mural cannot interfere with the stop sign at the off ramp.

The selected artist will be notified at the end of July, with project completion scheduled for September.

For more, contact the city’s Cultural Arts and Events Coordinator Kai Fulginiti at 206-275-7864 or kai.fulginiti@mercergov.org.