Mesa Verde National Park, in partnership with the Mesa Verde Association, is pleased to share two upcoming artist opportunities now open for submissions.
We invite artists, illustrators, culture beaers, and creative practitioners - particularly those connected to affiliated Tribes and Pueblos, as well as regional communities - to participate in projects that help share and honor the continuing cultural connections to Mesa Verde.
We welcome sharing these opportunities with folks in your communities and networks. If you have questions or would like additional information please contact Sarah Rank, Mesa Verde Association Executive Director, sarah@mesaverde.org, 970-529-4647.
Indigenous Arts & Culture Festival
Mesa Verde National Park and Mesa Verde Association are seeking Indigenous artists, cultural demonstrators, and performers for the annual Indigenous Arts and Culture Festival, being held July 4-5, 2026 at Mesa Verde National Park. This gathering celebrates the living cultures of the Southwest and provides space for artists to share knowledge, demonstrate techniques, speak with visitors, and offer artwork for sale. Details and application information can be found on the Indigenous Arts & Culture Festival page.
Mesa Verde Museum Exhibit Murals
Mesa Verde National Park and Mesa Verde Association, invites artists and illustrators to submit proposals for three new large museum exhibit murals and smaller illustrations, developed through collaboration with the Native Interpretation Working Group and through formal tribal consultation, for new exhibits in the Mesa Verde Museum.
These murals will play a central role in helping museum visitors understand the deep, living relationships between Indigenous peoples and the Mesa Verde landscape - past, present, and ongoing.
Cultural Framing
Mesa Verde is ancestral land for 27 Pueblos and Tribes with sacred connections. For thousands of years, the Mesa Verde region has been part of a broader cultural landscape shaped by movement, seasonal use, trade, and connection. Many Indigenous peoples lived in, traveled through, and maintained relationships with this area, forming networks of exchange, knowledge, and kinship that extended well beyond the mesa.
The museum exhibit murals are envisioned as visual storytelling elements that bring these relationships to life. The overall concepts, themes, and draft designs for each mural have been developed through extensive collaboration between Mesa Verde National Park, the Native Interpretation Working Group, and formal tribal consultation. There has been comprehensive review of the Indigenous-informed conceptual design and vision through these processes.
The selected artist or illustrator is expected to work respectfully and collaboratively within the established framework to visually interpret the lives, knowledge systems, and relationships of Indigenous peoples over time.
Project Overview
The murals will be installed within newly redesigned museum exhibit galleries and will support core interpretive themes related to:
- Indigenous relationships to the Mesa Verde landscape
- Daily life, knowledge, and cultural continuity
- Seasonal movement, place-based lifeways, and community
- The enduring presence of Indigenous peoples connected to Mesa Verde today
Artists will work from an existing exhibit designer's draft and conceptual guidance developed through consultation, refining and bringing these concepts to life through finished artwork suitable for a museum environment. The draft designs including essential mural elements are available here for download and review. The selected artist will focus on established design concepts and mural elements rather than originating new exhibit concepts.
Mural Format & Dimensions
All murals will be produced as large format artwork and must be digitally reproducible that can scale to the final sizes without losing detail, for exhibit fabrication and installation. Because final production will be digital, murals will not be created on site. Final artwork will be printed on panels for installation in the museum.
Approximate mural dimensions by exhibit scene are as follows:
• Scene 5: Mural of Mesa Tops (Summer) 15’-11” wide × 5’-0” high
• Scene 6: Illustration of woman and she should be about 5" tall
• Scene 7: Mural of Cliffs and Alcoves (Fall) 31’-1” wide × 9’-0” high
• Scene 7: Small illustration of interior Pueblo room with corn grinding activity approximately 24"x36" (vertical orientation)
• Scene 8: Small illustration of interior Pueblo room during the winter - approximately 24"x36" (vertical orientation)
• Scene 9: 18’-6” wide (segmented) × 8’-8” high
Final dimensions, segmentation, file specifications, and production requirements will be confirmed during the design refinement phase in coordination with the exhibit design team, EDX Designs.
Eligibility
- Open to individual artists or illustrators or artist teams.
- Experience with murals, large-scale illustration, or exhibit-based artwork strongly preferred
- Experience working on interpretive, educational, and/or culturally grounded projects is highly valued
- Submissions from Indigenous and local and regional artists are strongly encouraged.
Budget
Applicants should provide a proposed budget estimate that includes:
- Artist/illustrator fees (including assistants)
- Materials
- Travel and lodging (if applicable)
- Contingency
Anticipated Timeline
- Call opens: February 17, 2026
- Submission deadline: March 31, 2026
- Artist selection announced: Mid-May, 2026
- Design refinement & coordination: Mid-June through December 31, 2026
- Completion target: December 31, 2026
- Mural installation: Completed by exhibit fabricator beginning fall 2027
Application Requirements
Submissions should include:
- Artist or Illustrator Statement describing interest in the project and approach to collaborative, consultation-informed work.
- Resume or CV (for individuals or each team member).
- Portfolio Samples: Up to 10 images of past work, demonstrating relevant work such as murals, illustration, exhibit graphics, or narrative visual storytelling
- Preliminary written approach (sketches optional) describing how you would work from an existing exhibit draft and tribal consultation guidance.
- Budget outline
- References (optional but encouraged).
Submission Instructions
Submit all required materials by March 31, 2026 to: admin@mesaverde.org
Questions may be directed to:
Sarah Rank, Mesa Verde Association Executive Director, admin@mesaverde.org , (970)529-4647
Selection Process
Submissions will be reviewed by a committee including representatives from Mesa Verde Association, Mesa Verde National Park, EDX Designs, and the Native Interpretation Working Group.
Evaluation Criteria
- Artistic quality and clarity of visual storytelling
- Demonstrated ability to work from established concepts and guidance
- Experience with large-scale or exhibit-based artwork
- Respectful, collaborative approach to culturally grounded and consultation-informed work
- Feasibility of proposed budget
- Capability of digitally reproducing artwork in a manner that can scale to final size.
Additional Information
The selected artist or illustrator will enter into a contract with Mesa Verde Association. The artist will retain copyright of the artwork while granting Mesa Verde Association and Mesa Verde National Park permission to use images of the artwork for educational, interpretive, promotional, and retail product development purposes.