What are examples of a good quality wall for a mural / how do I prepare my wall for a mural? 

TEXTURE: The texture of the wall will inform how easily artists can paint on it. A more textured wall requires more paint and time and will wear on brushes. If you have a highly textured wall, you can request a mural painted on separate panels (wood or metal) or “polytab” (described below) that can be installed on your wall. These options come with additional expenses.

MATERIAL: The more durable and weatherproof the original surface, the more durable the mural will be. For example, a mural on well-maintained brick or concrete will last longer than a mural on plywood.

HEIGHT: We use ladders when possible, though tall murals may require us to rent scaffolding and/or lifts. This is an additional expense. 

CONDITION: If there are pieces of your wall that are starting to crumble, we ask that you repair those areas before we begin painting. If the wall has peeling paint, we ask that you scrape and powerwash the wall. 

PREP: We ask clients to wash and prime walls before we begin painting. 

How does CAC decide how much a mural costs?

We advocate for equitable pay for working artists. We start at $75/hour unless otherwise discussed for artists, including time for communication and administrative tasks, community engagement, design, set up and take down, painting, and varnishing. Supply and travel costs are separate expenses. Note: We use Nova Color exterior varnish; if you’d like a graffiti-proof mural, that is a distinct process that you may hire someone else to undertake.

How much notice do you need before starting? 

The more notice the better! We tend to book 3-6 months in advance. 

What kind of murals does CAC create? 

CAC was born out of the uprising following the police murder of George Floyd. We strive to create art that amplifies and contributes to social justice movements and community healing. We do not create commercial murals. 

What is your process? How do I hire CAC?

We start by discussing your vision for the mural. Once we understand what you are looking for and establish that we have shared values, we will offer you a quote with the estimated cost. If you have a fixed budget, we do our best to determine the kind of mural we can create within your budget (for example, a smaller budget may work for a simple design or one that does not take up the entire wall). Start a conversation by emailing us at creativesaftercurfew@gmail.com.

Do you create murals outside of Minnesota? 

At this time, we have only created murals in Minnesota. That said, we are open to creating murals out of state! Budgets for out of state murals would include costs of travel and accommodations.

Is your work seasonal? 

We work year round! During Minnesota winters, we paint indoor murals or murals on surfaces that can be installed outdoors once the weather warms up. During the warmer months, please be aware that painting days are weather dependent. We cannot paint on rainy or super-humid days, as moisture can get trapped under the paint and make it vulnerable to peeling.

How do I get involved? 

If you’d like to support CAC with donations or  CLICK HERE

If you are interesting learning how to mural paint, or joining the collective CLICK HERE