The Town of Clayton has begun a search for a local artist to paint a mural at the Hocutt-Ellington Memorial Library downtown in what would be the town's second major public art project in a year.

An official "Request for Qualifications" asking for proposals is going out to all artists who live in and around Johnston County. The document says town officials want a painting "that will acknowledge and celebrate the library as a historic point connecting past and present."

The proposed site is a hallway adjacent to the Library's Reference Room. The hallway is part of the spine connecting the primary collection, the History Room and the south wing.

The project will have a budget of $12,000.

The deadline for proposals is Nov. 13. Officials want to have an artist selected by mid-December and a proposed design by Jan. 15, with work completed by June.

Artist selection will be based on several criteria, including professional qualifications, experience, proven ability to handle projects of this type, artistic merit and an ability to work with the community in the creation of the art. An Artist Selection Panel will consider all proposals, which will include samples of previous work, and make a recommendation to the town's Public Art Advisory Board, which will bring a proposal to the Town Council for approval.

Proposals can be submitted electronically to Advisory Board Member Heidi Stump at hstump@townofclaytonnc.org or by mail to the Public Art Advisory Board at Town of Clayton, Public Art Advisory Board, PO Box 879, Clayton NC 27528. If sent by Federal Express, the address is: Town of Clayton, Public Art Advisory Board, 111 East Second Street, Clayton NC 27520.

Proposals must contain a cover letter describing what the artist's approach to the project would be, how they would work with the community in getting it done and why the project is of interest to them. Proposals must also include a professional resume and no more than 10 digital images of past work.

Here's a look at the proposed schedule:

• November 13, 2009 - Deadline of submission

• November 16-20, 2009 - Artist Selection Panel Application Review

• November 30-December 4, 2009 - Artist Interviews in Clayton

• Mid-December - Final Artist Selection

• January 15, 2010 - Design Proposal Due

• June 1, 2010 - Project Completed

The RFQ will be available for download on the Town’s website beginning October 21. Request for the document may also be addressed to Stump.

For more information, please contact Stump, who is also the Clayton Center Executive Director, by email at hstump@townofclaytonnc.org or by telephone at (919) 553-3152 x 4.

The Library enjoys a historic setting along a tree-lined street in downtown Clayton. It includes a wing dedicated to an extensive children’s collection, public computer/internet access, special programming for children including a summer reading program and the Clayton History Room, which houses reference materials, family histories, and artifacts significant to the people and culture of Clayton. Although the Library had humble beginnings in a single room of the old “Town Hall” building, it now supports a circulation exceeding 12,000 books per month.

Town officials unveiled Clayton's first public art project, a mural of town scenes called "Clayton Patchwork," in January. The 10-foot by 10-foot painting on an upstairs wall of the Clayton Center is the work of local artist Dorothy Demboski.