How to work with a muralist: Crafting your brand with site-specific artwork in NYC and beyond

In a dynamic urban landscape like New York, hiring a contractor can be a daunting task- never mind hiring an artist! However, working with artists to commission site specific murals can transform your space in a way that transcends mere painting or decoration— it is an opportunity to bring something new to life to make your space not only stand out in the big city, but also be remembered, recognized, and thriving on social media.

Commissioning a muralist in this way becomes a collaboration where your vision as a business owner gets to meet the visual language of an artist.

From my experience, the key to a successful project is allowing the artist to start by responding to your site and your current branding with original concepts. A mural is a site-specific work of art it is bounded by the physical features of your space, your budget, and perhaps some specific design elements, but beyond that, if you let the artist’s solution be as open ended as possible, you may end up with a truly exciting work of art.

Be it for commercial interior design, exterior walls, storefronts or patio spaces, in this tidbit of blogging, I hope to offer a quick guide, fresh for 2024, that will walk you through the steps of hiring a muralist in NYC and beyond.

It’s not just about paint on a wall or slapping up some art- it’s about co-creating a unique visual narrative that communicates your brand’s essence.

Navigating the online and urban tapestry of murals: Searching for local artists and muralists abroad

Where to start? Embarking on the quest to hire a muralist can starting by connecting with local artists. Not all artists work on murals, and many artists have processes that may not translate well into large scale onto particular surfaces. It is best to keep an open mind, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

In particular, a great way to do a quick search of artists local to your area who specialize in mural painting is via Thumbtack. This allows you comb through some muralists who are immediately available for quotes and actively seeking commissions and collaborative mural work in your city.

Want to cast a wider net? Start by digging into the specific styles and techniques via social media and the great wide web. You can discover lots of hidden gems on Instagram and Pinterest by searching specific styles or techniques of mural painting.

Have you noticed a particular style that piques your interest? What work are you responding to?

By searching hashtags as specific as #NYCMuralists #streetartNYC #abstractgeometricpainting #colorblockmural #Abstractlandscapepainting and dive into the rabbit hole.

Are you noticing that you prefer spray paint aesthetics like graffiti writing? Do you enjoy the hard shapes of cubism, or softness of impressionistic paintings? Looking for something with a clean graphic style or something chaotic and drippy? Perhaps you are you thinking you would prefer a mural painted with a more traditional technique like fresco, mosaic, or collage even? Maybe you want to try marouflage and have canvas adhered to your wall? The more obscure and specific the style of art you search, the better- vaporwave design, art deco, Bauhaus style, neo psychedelic art, Americana, folk art, kitsch, pop art, esoteric art, stencil art, hard edge painting. Dig in!

Local or not, the muralist you seek might may just be an emerging artist. By starting your search like this, you have the opportunity to connect directly with a unique muralist and get a truly one of a kind level of attention for your project. Found a muralist you like who isn’t local to your area? More often than not we are happy to travel and can certainly arrange for that!

Connecting with a muralist: A picture is worth a thousand words

Have you found an artist whose style aligns with your vision? Reach out- via social media or through their own site. Artists often showcase a variety of projects in their portfolios ranging in scope and pricing is seldom able to be shown with these works as each mural commission is unique. The circumstances surrounding each project is always different and pricing can range widely depending on location, style, level of detail, type of wall, and the artist’s level of experience, but fear not! Artists love to receive direct inquiries and can usually give you an idea of what working with them will entail once they hear a little bit about your project.

Be it via email, text, dm, or however you connect with your artist, no amount of words can substitute for the most important part of your inquiry: a photo of your wall and the space in general.

I can’t overstate this enough, start your inquiry by sending a photo or two of your site. This may seem obvious, and it may just seem like an old wall to you, but you’d be surprised how often this is overlooked and how quickly you can get answers by sharing photos of that wall right away. Not having photos along with inquiries infact is one of my number one qualms. I would say, before you even reach out, have a photo ready to go.

With a photo of your wall, an artist can figure out so much logistically, and you’ll be off to a great start commissioning your mural.

Defining your project scope and sketching out the plan

Once you’ve found a potential muralist, it’s time to dive into the details. Discuss the project’s scope, budget, and timeline transparently. This isn’t just about hiring; it’s about setting the stage for a successful a collaboration.

Each artist has their own process, and how they break down the project may vary quite a bit. While it is typical to require a deposit up front before creating any designs or renderings, amounts will vary. It is common for muralists, like many independent contractors to require 50% up front. Others may prefer to break the project into a few stages.

It is important to draft up a contract outlining expectations as clearly as possible, including payment terms, and project milestones. It is often hard to enough to picture the final product when starting a project, and this just helps to ensure a smooth process for everyone involved.

One more thing to note… which may again seem like a given, but you’d be surprised how often this issue arises. Before you even get to the stage of submitting your inquiry, ask yourself- do you have the necessary permission to paint the wall in question? In many cases, building ownership is happy to receive a free high end paint job of untold potential value, but you never know! And in any case, this is often out of your control, and it is not the responsibility of the muralist.

Mural design phase

Assuming you are good to go with your wall and you have made it this far in contracting with your artist, it is now time for the fun to begin. For many artists like me, the fun begins long before any paint brushes hit the wall. It begins by playing around with pixels. This is the design phase, and unless your artist works differently, most collaborative mural projects I have worked on involve at least a few initial concepts, rounds of designs, and design revisions before everyone is happy with the plan. Some artists may work differently- jumping right onto the wall.

It is important to remember that designs are just that- designs; sketches of the mural to come. Continue to keep an open mind, but also trust your instincts and always consider the artist’s previous work. A new vision is being brought to life and it is important to give honest feedback. Don’t be afraid to critique. Personally, I find that the most valuable feedback I get while in the design phase is the negative. It is so important for me that I find out what you as the owner don’t like. From there, I can learn a lot about how to best bring this vision to life.

In Conclusion: A unique visual narrative for your brand is born

Hiring a muralist in NYC is an opportunity to create a unique visual narrative that brings your business space and brand essence to life. Dive in and search diverse art styles, connect with artists near and far. Inquire for details transparently and share site photos to help you choose the perfect muralist for your project. Keep an open mind and allow a unique site-specific mural to come to life.