Border Fusion Institute, Inc. (BFI), a 501c3 Non-Profit is pleased to announce an exciting Public Art Mural Collaboration Project honoring the culture and history of the U.S.-Mexico relationship, particularly that of the public spaces where these two great countries first meet. This grand-opening BFI project will launch our mission to uncover untapped socio-economic potential and raise awareness of binational regions vital cross border dynamic through education, research, advocacy, and community engagement. Such purposeful sense of place formulated in strategic economic-micro zones linked to Ports of Entry along the US-Mexico Border, beginning with San Ysidro-Tijuana cross-border districts, will help bridge socioeconomic disparities and catalyze and improve binational relations as well as North American global competitiveness more broadly.
Public Art in Public Places, Where Countries First Meet
● Proposed U.S.-Mexico Collaboration, Public Mural Art Project:
Project management seeks to establish a unique public art creation and sense of place embracing binational communities, history and strong symbolism related to the U.S.-Mexico Border and shared places, even in digital spaces, where countries meet. An emblematic Mural poised for all entering the United States and Mexico as a grand place for the public to become ambassadors of this region and promote it through a selfie
moment.
● Location: On the south wall of the McDonald’s Trolley Station, a private two-story building located at 727 East San Ysidro Boulevard in San Ysidro, CA, home of the World’s Busiest Border Crossing. This National Gateway Landmark has served as a west coast mega region, cross-border mobility hub since 1982.
● Subject wall: Approximately 30’ high by 70’ wide on the south side of the building facing GSA Southbound Pedestrian Plaza into Mexico.
Future Redevelopment, Phased Mural Canvasses: The building’s mural wall will be furred out to establish a removable mural art piece due to various term agreements which may impact location. The anticipated life of the first Mural project will be 3-5 years, with opportunities for generational mural projects to follow, including on other walls of the Landmark site until the building is removed due to planned public redevelopment of the site. See SANDAG San Ysidro
Mobility Hub Project.
Art Project Mission: To shift the paradigm from an overlooked community
towards one that embodies collaboration, intersectional binational community, and true North American transnationalism.
● About the Artists: Recruit artists whose focus is on advocacy public art and who share a personal connection to the US-Mexican border narrative.
● About the Mural Collaboration: The mural will consist of a partnership between an artist representing the US and one representing Mexico. Artists will submit an interest form to be considered for the collaboration and will request to partner with an artist from across the border with whom they wish to collaborate. Once the partnership is matched, each team will submit their proposal to the mural committee, who will be composed of mural sponsors, board members, and key community stakeholders who will then vote to choose the top 5 projects. BFI will concurrently take the voting to the community and allow for students and community members to vote for their top choice during the voting poll period.
Once the winners are selected, the opportunity to create the mural will be one of the first of its kind and celebrated at the busiest land border crossing on earth.
Finalists will also have an opportunity to showcase their community involvement through the arts, gain renowned exposure, participate in funding opportunities for pre-existing curated artwork, receive sales for the collaboration and potentially meet future sponsors for their projects.
Application details:
● Application will open: January 28, 2022
● Deadline to submit application: March 15, 2022, at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
● Contact: Mitzi Salgado for additional information (mitzi@bfusion.org)
Application Guidelines
Apply here: https://forms.gle/ZUhoHTzDfvbM6RN28
Border Fusion Institute is pleased to announce the Mural Collaboration Project on the busiest border crossing in the western hemisphere! The mural will represent a space to raise awareness, build community, and foster unification between two worlds. A grand place for the public to become ambassadors of this region and promote it through a selfie moment.
