• Muralists must be 18 years of age or older. The PRO application is for experienced muralists, while the NEWBIE application is for artists who have never painted a mural before. Younger teens (ages 16-19) may apply for our Mentorship Program.

• Artists who painted in 2026 are not eligible. Please wait until 2028 before applying to the festival again.

• Artists must identify as female or a gender minority. “Gender minority" refers to individuals whose gender identity, expression, or experiences differ from binary gender concepts (male and female). Examples of gender minorities include transgender, non-binary, gender-fluid, and/or Two-Spirit people.

• Artists outside of Oklahoma and international artists may apply. For international artists, it is the artist’s responsibility to determine they have the proper visas and/or permissions. Please note that due to budget constraints, our ability to host international artists is limited.

• Muralist applications are open October 12 - November 9, 2026. Selected artists will be notified January 11 - 15, 2027. 

• Mentorship applications are open October 2 - November 1, 2026 (deadline extended!). Applicants are notified November 6, 2026.

• Stage performer, food truck, and vendor applications will open February 1, 2027.

A review panel of 10-15 arts and community professionals evaluates each application thoughtfully.We aim to showcase a diverse range of artistic styles, including local, national, and international talent, while ensuring 50-70% of our lineup represents Oklahoma artists.

Your answer to the “why” question shows passion, potential, and connects to our mission. Part of the magic is full participation during the week of Sunny Dayz! If an artist has a “too cool” attitude and opts out of everything, it takes away a spot from other artists who would have been genuinely stoked to soak up everything this festival has to offer. Low points are given to answers like “I want an excuse to travel,” or “I want to gift my art to your community.”

Your quality of work is stellar, with a strong sense of direction. We care A LOT about people’s passion and intentions, so that we bring together an uplifting crew. HOWEVER, we also need to see a cohesive style, high quality previous work examples, and strong sense of direction. This is especially important for “newbies”. A fantastic newbie application shows clear artistic direction in whatever medium you work in. The newbie application is geared towards artists working in different mediums other than public art.

Additionally, please adhere to the submission guidelines (upload correct files, answer all required questions, etc.)

You are uniquely you! We look for diversity in both artistic style and demographics. We will not have a festival lineup full of artists and art who look the same. Applicants who are not selected are encouraged to apply again. Every year our applicant pool and selection committee change.

NO. Artists have creative freedom and are not required to submit sketches or concepts with your application. In fact, we ask that you DO NOT submit renderings specific to this event at the time you apply.

Approximately one month before the festival, we will ask artists to submit sketches of their proposed murals. We do not edit nor give unsolicited feedback on design. Instead, this step allows us to anticipate and address any potential deviations from the artist contract guidelines. It’s a standard precaution to ensure a seamless and positive experience for all. 

Your mural may NOT contain: 

• Profanity or otherwise vulgar language or imagery 

• Imagery associated with specific religious, political, or gang-affiliated groups 

• Sexually explicit and/or obscene content, content depicting illegal activities, gore and/or graphic violence 

• Offensive content, recognized signs of hatred or discrimination against any race, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, religion, age, ancestry, marital status, familial status, gender identity or expression 

• Words, logos, emblems or trademarks or other similar devices which identify or advertise any product service or business

Sunny Dayz is committed to supporting artists and protecting the originality, creativity, and integrity of the work created through our festival. All designs submitted for consideration must be the artist’s original work. Artists may draw inspiration from other artists, artwork, history, nature, or the world around them, but submitted designs may not copy, trace, reproduce, or substantially replicate another artist’s work. There is an important distinction between inspiration and appropriation, and artists are responsible for understanding and respecting that distinction.

Sunny Dayz does not allow generative AI to be used in the development of mural designs. This includes using AI to generate, alter, develop, or contribute to a concept, composition, imagery, or other creative elements of a proposed mural design.

Sunny Dayz reserves the right to review sketches and design development and to ask artists questions about their creative process, sources of inspiration, and originality of their work.

Artists selected for the 2027 Sunny Dayz Mural Festival will be paid $13.50 per square foot for their mural. 

We prep and prime all mural walls prior to artists’ arrival, so you can show up ready to paint. We also partner with paint suppliers to provide artists with discounted spray and latex paint for their projects.

As part of the mural installation, artists are required to seal their completed murals with a weather, UV, and anti-graffiti clear coat, specifically designed to protect the artwork from sun fading, moisture, and everyday environmental exposure at the artist’s expense.

Many mural festivals severely under pay artists, citing exposure as a reason to participate. This not only sets a precedent of it being okay for artists to work for “exposure” or connections, but more importantly, it contributes to the inequity surrounding mural arts. We recognize the privilege it takes to be able to take off work, travel, and spend a week painting for minimal compensation, if not totally free. 

While $13.50/sq. ft. is high for mural festivals, it is below the national average price of commissioning a mural (between $25-40/sq.ft.) We aim to raise our rates as our fundraising model grows in sustainability.

If you believe in the power of public art to strengthen communities, and if you believe that women, non-binary, and trans folks deserve to have their voices celebrated, you could be a super hero. We would love to talk to you!

Artists are responsible for booking and covering their own travel to and from Oklahoma City, the closest major city to Shawnee, OK. We recommend flying into Will Rogers International Airport (OKC). While artists are welcome to rent a car at their own expense, Sunny Dayz coordinates airport transportation. Once we have your flight details, our team of local volunteers will sign up to help get you to and from the airport.

Travel stipends may be offered based on distance travelled and sponsorship funding secured.

Lodging is provided by Sunny Dayz! For the 2027 festival, lodging will be covered beginning the night of Saturday, May 29, with checkout on Sunday, June 6. Accommodations vary by city, but we do our best to keep artists and team members together whenever possible to make getting around easier. We coordinate rides with team and local artists to ensure there’s someone available to help artists without a vehicle get to and from the painting sites.

Artists can begin painting on Saturday, May 29, and we recommend arriving as close to that date as possible to experience the full Sunny Dayz magic! Think mural summer camp - a week of painting, community, connection and creativity. We provide lodging and a number of meals at HQ and throughout Sunny Week events so you can focus on making art, meeting fellow artists and enjoying the experience!

Because Sunny Dayz travels to a new city each year, the number of available walls and their dimensions vary from festival to festival. Artists will receive their wall assignment with dimensions and stipend if invited to participate, with notifications going out January 11–15, 2027.

The wall assignment process is a big, beautiful puzzle! Our assignment team includes several professional muralists who carefully consider wall dimensions, artistic styles, project requirements and the needs of each artist to find the fairest, most reasonable fit for everyone. We put a lot of thought into pairing artists with walls where their work can shine!