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Opportunity: 2022 Utility Box Art Wraps Call for Artists

Aritistic Discipline: Visual

Call to artists: Spokane Utility Box Art Wraps

A program of Spokane Arts, sponsored by STCU! Made possible in partnership with the City of Spokane and the City of Spokane Valley.

Submission Deadline: Sunday 9/11/2022, 11:59 p.m.

Overview
Spokane Arts is seeking original designs created by area artists to cover traffic signal and utility boxes throughout the City of Spokane and the City of Spokane Valley. Selected artist designs will be printed on vinyl and wrapped around the boxes by a third party design fabricator. The intent of the project is to beautify the utility boxes, bringing art to otherwise utilitarian surfaces and giving artists an opportunity to develop public art experience. Up to 20 artists will be chosen for this round of art wraps.

Selected artists will be awarded $450 per box design. Artists can submit up to 4 designs.

Design guidance: Of the 20 wraps, 12 will be located in the City of Spokane Valley and 8 will be located in the City of Spokane. One joint selection panel will jury the submissions together. Artists can check a box re: whether they’d like their designs to be considered for the City of Spokane, City of Spokane Valley, or both.

This is the first time that the City of Spokane Valley has commissioned utility box art wraps, so they would like to encourage artists to celebrate the uniqueness of the Spokane Valley through their designs. That is not a requirement, simply encouraged. The City of Spokane Valley encourages artists to submit designs that reflect the cultural, environmental, and/or historical identity of Spokane Valley.

For City of Spokane design proposals, artists are encouraged to steer away from common iconography that is already heavily used in the City of Spokane. For example, the Clocktower and the Garbage Goat are well-represented. Is it possible to create something that is a fresh/new/unique take on those? Sure! But if there are already multiple art installations that feature those images, then we’d encourage you to explore new avenues!
Questions? Email Spokane Arts program director Shantell Jackson, shantell@spokanearts.org

Designs will be selected in September 2022 and artist payments issued in October 2022 upon delivery of the final design files. Installation timeline depends on the third party vendor to print/install the wraps.

Eligibility: This call is open for artists living in the Inland Northwest region, including Eastern and Central Washington and North Idaho. Submitted designs must be original works of the artist and in compliance with all existing copyright laws. Because of the public nature, artwork may not contain advertising, religious art, sexual, violent or other content unsuitable for all ages and cannot convey political partisanship. Our committee will not be reviewing concepts for the signal box art. Please submit a finalized artwork. Please note: immediate employees of the City of Spokane Valley and Spokane Arts are not eligible to participate.
City/Region: Spokane and Spokane Valley
Point of Contact: Shantell Jackson
Contact Email:
Expires: September 12, 2022