LEGACY + VISIBILITY + RESILIENCE + SPIRIT + LGBTQ + CEDAR SPRINGS + DALLAS + COMMUNITY
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)
WELCOME TO OAK LAWN
Community Mural — Mural 1 of 7
Issued By
Arttitude (501c3) in partnership with the Cedar Springs Merchants Association (CSMA)
Project Location
Rear wall of Out of the Closet, 3920 Cedar Springs Road, Dallas, TX 75219 (Oak Lawn)
RFQ Posted
July 27, 2026
Submission Deadline
Friday, August 14, 2026 — 5:00 PM CT
Anticipated Unveiling
Saturday, October 30, 2026
Compensation
$5,000 artist fee (design + execution); materials, lift/equipment, and permitting provided separately by Arttitude/CSMA.
PrOjEcT OvErVieW
Arttitude and the Cedar Springs Merchants Association are commissioning a queer, community-rooted mural on the rear wall of Out of the Closet at 3920 Cedar Springs Road — the first of seven public murals planned across the Oak Lawn area. This RFQ seeks a qualified muralist (or artist team) to design and paint the inaugural mural, themed WELCOME TO OAK LAWN.
This is a qualifications-based call. Artists are asked to submit qualifications and a letter of interest — not a finished design. The selected artist will develop the concept through a community-engaged process (see Timeline) before painting begins.
BAcKgRoUnD &
COmMuNitY CoNtExT
Oak Lawn is the historic heart of Dallas's LGBTQ+ community, and the Cedar Springs Strip has long been its visible anchor. For years, rainbow-striped crosswalks welcomed visitors into the neighborhood. In October 2025, Governor Greg Abbott issued a state directive ordering the Texas Department of Transportation to remove decorative and "political" crosswalks statewide; Dallas's request for an exemption was denied in January 2026, and the Oak Lawn rainbow crosswalks were removed during a scheduled street resurfacing (KERA, Texas Tribune, them.).
In response, communities across Texas are reclaiming queer visibility through art on private property — rainbow sidewalks, painted steps, and murals (Texas Tribune, Patch). The "Welcome to Oak Lawn" mural continues that tradition: a bold, joyful declaration that the gayborhood is still here, still visible, and still welcoming.