Calvert plans for park mural on basketball courts

The data from Calvert government’s latest community survey are in and participants have indicated the county needs to work on aesthetics.

Jennifer Sterling of county government’s communications and media relations department conceded when it came to providing arts, “we scored pretty low.”

In the survey taken earlier this year with close to 900 residents participating, only 33% indicated satisfaction with the county in the area of arts, 32% were not satisfied while 35% indicated they were neutral.

According to a county press release summarizing the survey results, “arts and culture” is one of three primary areas for improvement — public transportation and zoning are the other two.

“Calvert County government is advancing initiatives to incorporate the arts into county facilities, including plans to add murals at Appeal Landfill and park basketball courts,” the press release further stated.

Last week, county government announced the parks and recreation department is seeking qualified local artists to collaborate with park staff on a large-scale mural design for the renovated basketball courts at Cove Point Park in Lusby.

“The basketball courts need to be upgraded,” Stephanie Sperling, a park planner, told Southern Maryland News, adding that the county government applied for and received grant funding from Maryland’s Program Open Space to fund the renovation project.

The plan to create outdoor basketball courts that are works of art, Sperling explained, draws its inspiration from Project Backboard, a 9-year-old nonprofit organization with a mission to renovate public basketball courts.

Sperling said Amanda Stillwagon, the park and safety division chief, “had seen some of these cool murals.”

Local parks and recreation officials consulted with Project Backboard on how to revitalize the outdoor courts with an artistic flair. Sperling said the subcontractor the county is working with has done similar projects.

Rather than request designs, Sperling said county government officials opted to recruit “an artist who will work within the budget and time constraints.”

“The final design will be abstract, geometric and brightly colored,” the county government release on the search for a local artist for the Cove Point Park mural project stated.

For any local artist interesting in submitting themselves as the project collaborator, that submission should include what is known as a “CV” or a compilation of the artist’s education, awards, previous projects etc., a portfolio of previous work and a brief description of the artist’s vision for the basketball courts.

“Initial design concepts for the basketball courts will be considered but are not necessary,” the county government release stated. The contest is open to individuals of all ages.

The basketball court project is in fast-break mode and the shot clock is quickly expiring — the deadline for submissions is July 24.

“This is a cool art project and we’re ready to rock and roll on this,” Sperling said.

For an application go to www.CalvertCountyMd.gov/Mural. For more information about the project, call 443-771-2049 or email Sperling at stephanie.sperling@calvertcountymd.gov.