Graffiti News

Oklahoma artists have until September 7 to enter

Regent Bank Amphitheater, a live entertainment venue under construction in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, is accepting mural competition entries until 11:59 p.m. on September 7, 2026. Tulsa World reporter Jimmie Tramel reported the extended deadline on August 27. The competition offers artists across Oklahoma an opportunity to place original work inside a concert venue being developed by Venu Holding Corporation.

Three winning artists will receive cash awards. Their designs will become large-format wall graphics, with installation planned for fall 2026 in coordination with the amphitheater’s opening. According to the news release cited by Tulsa World, the work will be seen by thousands of concertgoers each season. That audience estimate describes the project’s intended reach; the venue is still under construction.

For people who follow murals, the announcement marks a selection stage in a future installation. September 7 is the submission deadline, rather than a date to visit completed artwork. The report does not identify winning artists or show selected designs.

Artists do not need experience painting walls

Mural painting experience is not required because the selected artwork will be reproduced through a large-scale printing and installation process. Winners will not paint the designs directly onto walls at the site. That distinction makes the opportunity relevant to artists whose usual work takes place on paper, on a screen or behind a camera.

Tulsa World lists painters, illustrators, photographers, digital artists, graphic artists, mixed-media creators and graffiti artists among the people invited to enter. Eligibility extends across Oklahoma. The article directs applicants to the full requirements rather than setting out every condition within the report.

The production method also matters to viewers. A wall-sized artwork can use a photographic image or digital composition without being a hand-painted mural. Here, the planned result is a reproduction of an original design at architectural scale. Understanding that process gives visitors a more precise way to describe what they will eventually see.

Selection considers both the image and its reproduction

Entries will be assessed for originality, artistic quality, connection to the competition’s theme, visual impact and suitability for large-scale reproduction. These criteria bring the design and its eventual wall presentation into the same decision. An image’s relationship to the theme matters alongside how it works when enlarged.

The report does not state the theme’s wording, required file specifications or dimensions of the installation surfaces. Artists can find full eligibility requirements, submission guidelines and entry forms at arts302.com. Those details are necessary to prepare an entry; the range of accepted artistic disciplines alone does not establish every submission requirement.

The article also does not give the cash award amounts or specify a time zone for the deadline. Applicants should use the competition’s own instructions for the submission process. For readers comparing opportunities, the supported facts are the three awards, statewide invitation and printed installation format.

The project connects regional arts support with a concert venue

The VENU Arts and Culture Foundation is leading the competition in partnership with ARTSOK. According to Tulsa World, the foundation supports arts and culture in communities served by VENU. ARTSOK is a nonprofit working to make the arts accessible, inclusive and engaging across the Tulsa metropolitan area.

That partnership places a regional artist selection process within a commercial entertainment setting. For a mural audience, the point of interest is the meeting between original visual work and the spaces concertgoers use. The invitation to multiple disciplines also allows the eventual walls to draw on approaches beyond conventional mural painting, although the chosen media remain unknown.

Winners are expected to be notified in the weeks following the deadline. Installation is planned for fall 2026, but the report gives no exact opening date, artwork unveiling date or visitor access arrangements. Readers planning to see the work should look for those details before arranging a visit. The announcement does not establish whether the graphics will be accessible without attending a concert.

To explore other murals and street art while following the project, browse the Wallscape map.

Source: Tulsa World