Transforming the Entrance to Arlington’s Universe

The Friends of Arlington's David M. Brown Planetarium is embarking on an exciting new project to completely reimagine the main entrance hallway of the planetarium.

Dubbed "Gateway to the Stars," this initiative will replace the blank walls with a massive, permanent vinyl mural wrap spanning over 60 linear feet. Our goal is to create a deeply immersive visual experience that evokes feelings of curiosity and awe, setting a dramatic and inspiring tone for the thousands of students, families, and community members before they even step foot inside the dome.

• The Theme: The Grandeur of the Universe. Artwork should focus on visually spectacular deep-space phenomena such as black holes, nebulae, galaxies, and starscapes.
  
• The Canvas: The hallway features two distinct curved walls. Artists will design for a canvas that is approximately 8 feet high by 36 feet wide per wall.
  
• The Medium: All final deliverables must be high-resolution digital files (minimum 150 DPI at full scale), with vector artwork highly encouraged.
  
• The Budget: A design budget of up to $5,000 is available for the digital commission. (FOAP will separately fund and manage the physical vinyl printing and installation). Artists may propose a design for one or both of the hallway walls.

• Call for Artists Issued: September 21, 2026
  
• Submission Deadline: November 1, 2026
  
• Artist Selected: December 15, 2026
  
• Final Artwork Delivery: March 1, 2027
  
• Mural Installation: Summer 2027