Digital Mural Artist

The Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC) was founded in 1976 on the premise that art is a site for social justice. Our mission is to produce, preserve, and promote activist and socially relevant artwork; and ultimately, to foster artistic collaborations that empower communities who face marginalization. SPARC curates gallery exhibitions and programs that promote civic dialogue, in addition to creating and preserving murals that examine the most critical social and political issues of our time.

About this job

The Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC) is a community-based non-profit arts organization dedicated to producing and preserving murals and public artworks in Los Angeles neighborhoods. Co-founded in 1976 by muralist and activist Judith F. Baca, SPARC has a decades-long legacy of creating the ethnic face of the city and representing and uplifting communities of color through collaborative grassroots mural production.

Right now, we are working on expanding The Great Wall of Los Angeles, the longest mural in the world. Begun by Judy Baca in 1978, The Great Wall visually tells the silenced and repressed stories of marginalized communities in Los Angeles and California, beginning with Indigenous history and continuing to the present day.

We are seeking a Digital Artist adept at using digital tools for drawing, painting, and composition to provide hands-on support for SPARC's works of public art. The Digital Artist will work under another Digital Artist and the Artistic Director in-house in our Digital/Mural Lab, a unique research and artistic production facility that uses state-of-the-art computer technology to facilitate the production of public artworks. The Digital/Mural Lab is equipped with outstanding tools and technology, collaborative spaces, a mural painting studio, and mural fabrication and prototyping equipment. We work in a creative, stimulating environment that is highly flexible and customizable for creative projects. Ultimately, the projects that are envisioned in the DM/L contribute to a body of public imagery that speaks of both beauty and social change in our public spaces.

The Great Wall of Los Angeles Mural Expansion

Develop, modify, add detail to, and clean up Great Wall artists' pencil and/or ink sketches using Photoshop and a Wacom Cintiq tablet

Develop transitions between Great Wall artists' sketches to create one long, continuous mural

Find historically- and artistically-appropriate reference imagery for your own use, for other artists' uses, and for the use of the Artistic Director

Provide artistic support to research team as needed, and research support to artist team as needed

Participate in Great Wall design team meetings and facilitate as needed

Facilitate Artistic Director's digital workflow and troubleshoot problems

Digital/Mural Lab and other Social and Public Art Resource Center commissions

Help research and conceptualize new commissions that come to SPARC and Judy Baca

Assist Artistic Director with digital drawing and painting of commissions

General digital artist duties that may come up, including but not limited to: image editing and color correction, vector illustration, print layout design

Help with large-format printing as needed

Help with mural preparation and installation as needed

Help maintain Digital Mural Lab

Qualifications

Software

Required: Adobe Creative Suite, especially Photoshop and Illustrator

Preferred: Corel Painter, SketchUp

Skills and Experience

Excellent illustration and storytelling skills with an eye for perspective, color, value, lighting, mood, and composition

Good sense of form, shape, silhouette, scale, and texture

Ability to drive a sketch to photorealistic illustration

Fluency in line drawing, contour shading, and building value through cross-hatching

Strong use of research and reference material in support of idea generation and problem solving

Up-to-date knowledge of photo editing and digital drawing and painting tools

Very good communication skills and teamwork oriented attitude

Experience with large scale works or murals is a plus

Experience with arts and/or social justice organizations is a plus

People from marginalized backgrounds (including people of color, people from working-class backgrounds, LGBTQ+ people, and women) are especially encouraged to apply

Bachelor’s Degree (B.A., B.F.A., B.S.) from an accredited university preferred

To apply

Please submit a resume and cover letter to: [email protected]. Please include an attachment or link to your portfolio or website with current work that speaks to your ability to use the skills and perform the duties listed above. Applicants who do not submit these materials will not be considered.

In your cover letter, please answer the following:

1. What experience do you have working in concept art or digital drawing, painting, and composition?

2. What training/certification have you received that is related to digital drawing, painting, and composition?

3. Do you work well in teams and under artistic direction?

4. Why are you interested in working at a public art center dedicated to producing works that tell marginalized stories and contribute to struggles for social justice?