Boarded-up window panels at the Gable’s building will soon be transformed into colorful mural-style artworks as a partnership of local groups is seeking artists to beautify the downtown Altoona landmark. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

It isn’t ideal for the downtown’s largest anchor property to be dormant at a time when a large contingent of out-of-town visitors is expected in connection with a major one-time event.

But local officials are trying to make the best of the Gable’s building being in transition this summer as a result of its recent acquisition by the Altoona Blair County Development Corp., which intends to gut it, then find a development group to create some as yet unknown “highest and best use” for the iconic Altoona structure.

A partnership consisting of ABCD Corp., the city, ArtsAltoona and the Altoona Mirror is calling on local artists to fill up about 20 plywood panels recently installed to protect the first-floor windows on the 11th Avenue section of the building, in hopes that most will be adorned with art — or well on the way — by July 3, the day before the nation’s 250th birthday and four days before the start of the first and probably last visit to this part of the country for “Big Boy,” the world’s largest operating steam engine, expected to draw 10,000 spectators.

“(W)e are seeking artists to transform a series of boarded window spaces into vibrant, mural-style artworks,” states a call for artists made available Thursday by the city’s new main street manager, Jamie Baser Foust.

There is no overarching theme, any style is welcome and participating artists “are encouraged to bring their own creative vision” — although no political messages, nudity, negativity, vulgarity or controversial topics will be allowed — and all content must be appropriate for all ages.

Applications from both emerging and established artists — painters, muralists, illustrators and mixed-media practitioners — are due by June 3, and should include three to five photos showing prior works, a brief identifying statement, a brief narrative explaining the planned concept and the style in which it will be done and also the materials to be used.

Selected artists may submit a “rough concept sketch” and begin work immediately upon sketch approval.

Applications will be evaluated and panels assigned — one to each chosen artist — June 5 by a panel of local artists that is still being cobbled together, according to Foust.

The panels range from 88 to 100 inches wide and 85 to 135 inches high.

While the project partnership would like the artworks to be done by July 3, it’s granting a few weeks’ grace due to the “tight timeline,” Foust said.

But there’s a hard deadline of July 31, so that everything is complete in time for a social voting contest and an art walk event to take place in August.

There will be a $150 stipend for all of the chosen artists, to help with materials, along with a $1,000 juried award for the piece judged most outstanding and a $1,000 people’s choice award, based on voting through altoonamirror.com.

All panels are already primed in beige.

The project committee recommends the use of mid- to high-quality exterior latex paint or artist-grade acrylic.

Professional grade spray paint is permitted, as long as artists take precautions against overspray.

Shared supplies of brushes and white base paint may be available.

A bonus event, being paired up with Levity’s Summerfest on Saturday, June 13, is a live paint day, where artists taking on the mural project are invited to work on their portion while enjoying the music, food and community engagement.

Once the project wraps up, the physical, completed panels will become the property of the city, which “may choose to preserve and relocate select panels for future public display, if they can be safely removed without damage when redevelopment of the Gable’s building occurs,” Foust wrote.

Panels that the city doesn’t need for subsequent reuse may become available to the artists who painted them.

Regardless, artists “will retain full copyright(s on) their original artwork, including the right to reproduce, sell and display images of their work in portfolios, on social media and in other professional contexts,” according to the statement.

Conversely, the project partners will also have the right “to photograph and share images of the artwork for promotional, marketing and public relations purposes related to the project and downtown initiatives,” according to the statement.

In addition to working with the Mirror to recruit artists for the project, the committee is contacting local arts organizations and individual artists, Foust said.

The panels are expected to be on the windows for a year and a half to two years, Foust said, noting the idea for the project came from ABCD Corp. CEO Steve McKnight.

The committee is hoping to create “an exciting and welcoming space,” especially given that many among the spectators expected for Big Boy may never have been in downtown Altoona before, Foust said.

In addition, Foust said the July 4 race in the downtown usually draws in 2,500 runners and visitors to the downtown area and that event will also benefit from the mural project.

The lack of an overarching theme will give participating artists an opportunity to “express their own uniqueness,” said Catherine Newman, administrative director of ArtsAltoona.

Taken all together, the individual works should mesh “to make one large piece of beautiful art,” Newman said.

To apply by June 3, visit http://artsaltoona.org/mural-project.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.