Next month, Uptown will visibly and vividly proclaim its artist relocation program with a large, outdoor mosaic mural.

The artist, Isaiah Zagar, is well-known in Philadelphia for his large, outdoor mosaic murals on building exteriors. On his website Zagar says his life’s work is making Philadelphia into a “labyrinthine mosaic museum.”

Racine Mayor Gary Becker spent a couple of days in Philadelphia in January and discovered Zagar’s many creations. Becker said he thought Zagar’s work would be a perfect way to publicly declare Uptown an artists’ district. Racine is working to rejuvenate the Uptown area by bringing in artists to live, work and open galleries there.

Becker met Zagar while in Philadelphia.

“When I met Isaiah, after about five minutes I’m like, ‘Do you ever travel?’ ” he said.

They worked out an arrangement that will bring Zagar here from June 9-17 to make a mural — with community help. Zagar’s tentative canvas is the north side, both the first and second stories of the Nielsen, Madsen & Barber building, 1339 Washington Ave.

Kristin Niemiec, the city’s commercial corridor specialist, said Zagar will do the entire project after he arrives, including the design. He will first solicit ideas in a public meeting.

Becker said Zagar will have enough time to do the project from start to finish.

“He can work pretty quick out of a meeting,” Becker said. “He can create something pretty spectacular in a hurry.”

The mural will be made on June 13-15, Niemiec said. A small festival that weekend will celebrate the creation.

Zagar will be joined by high school students from the Main Gallery program and about 10 adult artists/helpers, each of whom will pay $250 for the privilege of working with and learning from Zagar.

Niemiec said they will use — and need — porcelain tiles, clay pots, dishes and the like. People can drop off those materials for the project at Racine Merchanise Mart, 1341 Washington Ave.

Zagar’s murals will be as large as the two walls or as large as the amount of materials will allow, Niemiec said.

The project will roughly coincide with the launch of the Web site dedicated to the artist relocation project, she added.

The cost to the city will be $5,000 to Zagar and $1,000 to his Philadelphia Magic Garden, from federal community development block grant money the city receives.

“You’re trying to create uniqueness in your city,” Becker said. “This is unique.”

The mural will help push the artist relocation program, Becker said. “We’ll use it to kind of say, ‘Here we come.’ ”

Racine’s artist relocation effort for Uptown is modeled on that of Paducah, Ky., which transformed a decaying, crime-ridden area that way.

“They kind of got it,” he said about the city of Paducah. “This is just a visible way of us saying, ‘We get it.’ ”