City of Auburn  - 2019 Utility Box Wrap Project

Deadline: April 5, 2019, at 11pm
Budget: $500 per selected artist design

Project Summary

The City of Auburn seeks applications for artworks/designs that can be reproduced as a vinyl wraps and applied to up to 16 utility boxes throughout Auburn. This opportunity is open to visual artists, illustrators, designers and otherwise creative community members residing in Auburn or the surrounding King and Pierce Counties, working in any medium, as long as the final artwork can be translated and digitally reproduced on a 2-dimensional vinyl wrap.

The goal of the project is to enhance Auburn’s public spaces by adding works of art by local artists to utilitarian surfaces that are often targeted by vandalism. These pieces of public art can enhance the visual character of our city, promote community dialogue, turn ordinary spaces into community landmarks, and are accessible to everyone.

Eligibility

• Applicant must live within King or Pierce Counties

• Applicant cannot be a member of the Auburn Arts Commission or a City of Auburn employee

Art Opportunity

The City of Auburn is seeking artists to submit artwork designs to be reproduced as vinyl wraps and applied to utility boxes throughout Auburn. Selected artist will be paid $500 for an approved final design and licensing rights that will enable the City to reproduce the final design on one or multiple traffic signal and/or utility boxes throughout the City.

The design’s theme and medium are open to the artist’s vision, but must be suitable for the public realm and integrate the front, back, sides, and top of the box to capture the interest of those that drive, ride, and walk by.

All artists will be required to submit initial design proposals for review by the City’s Arts Program staff and, if selected, might be requested to provide revisions to the proposal for specific measurements with that final design to be approved by Arts Program staff for a contract. The final artwork must be submitted as a high quality digital file to the exact specifications provided by the Arts Program. If artwork is not inherently a digital file, artist must submit a high resolution scan or photograph of the work, suitable for use. The City will be responsible for printing and installation of the box wraps. The specific location of the traffic/utility cabinet will be assigned by the Arts Commission and Public Works Department.

CALL TO ARTISTS

The City will select a number of utility box sites within Auburn and multiple artist designs will be selected and reproduced as vinyl wraps on multiple utility boxes, the exact locations of which will be determined by the City. In general, the utility box sites will be in highly visible areas that could use a better representation of public art and/or in areas that have a history of vandalism.

Dimensions and Locations of Utility Boxes:

- 2 Boxes with dimensions of 50”H x 30”W x 16.5”D

- Up to 14 Boxes with dimensions of 59”H x 44”W x 26”D

- Specific locations are listed in associated images/floor plan/site plan for call to artists

The wraps are intended to last at least 5 years but may be removed at any time at the discretion of the City. While the City will aim to remove any tagging or vandalism, deterioration may occur and thus the City cannot guarantee that the wrap will be restored to its original condition.

Wrap Design Guidelines:

• Designs must be appropriate for display in public spaces and viewing by a general audience
• Designs should not aim to blend into the surrounding streetscape, but should stand out artistically to the passers by
• Designs cannot include political or religious content; any breach of intellectual property; trademarks; images of illegal activity; advertisements; logos; signage; promotion of any business, organization, individual, or product; or involve the attachment of objects to the boxes
• All designs will be subject to review and approval by Arts Program staff

Selection Criteria

Artist designs will be selected based on the following criteria:

• Artistic quality of submitted designs and past work samples
• Appropriateness of artwork in scale and imagery to be visually effective on public utility boxes
• Ability to successfully translate original artwork to a digital file for a 2-dimensional surface
• Ability to relate to multiple types of viewers (pedestrians, motorists, cyclists)

Project Timeline

April 5, 2019, 11pm............... Deadline for application submissions
April 8-12, 2019..................... Jury review of applications and selection of artists
May 7, 2019.......................... Arts Commission approval of juried artists
April, 2019............................. Council approve the project budget
May, 2019............................. Notification of artist selection (mural and utility boxes)
May 15, 2019......................... Utility Box Final wrap design due as digital file with any revisions due
May-June, 2019..................... Utility Box wrap production and installation

SUBMISSION PROCESS

Please submit the following required application via the online CaFE application:

1. Project Questionnaire

• Please submit as a PDF or Word Document
• Name document in the following format - applicant’s last name_Questionnaire (example: Smith_Questionnaire.)
• Include artist’s name in the top right corner.
• One page or less total, answering the following questions:
  • 1)      Why are you interested in this project?
  • 2)      How will your artwork/design translate successfully to the utility box format?
  • 3)      How can your work relate to multiple types of viewers (pedestrians, motorists,
  • 4)      cyclist) – examples are helpful.

2. Professional Resume

• Please submit as a PDF or Word Document
  • Name document in the following format - applicant’s last name_Resume (example: “Smith_Resume.”
• Resume should not exceed 3 pages and should:
  • include artist’s name, address, phone, and email address.
  • List most recent public art and/or art experience first.

3. Artwork Images/Designs

• Submit only “High” quality JPEG files (do not use GIF, TIFF, or other formats.)
  • Name images in the following format:  number_applicant’s last name (number signifies the viewing order), for example: “01_Smith.jpg; 02_Smith.jpg; etc. These numbers must correspond to the Artwork Description Sheet (see below).
• Submit 1-5 designs or artworks for consideration for the opportunity and an optional additional 5 images of the artist’s past similar projects.

4. Artwork Description Sheet

• Submit as a PDF or Word Document
  • Name document in the following format - applicant’s last name_ Artwork Description Sheet (example: “Smith_ Artwork Description Sheet.”)
  • Name in the top right corner of every page
• Images (see naming convention above) numbered consecutively and listed in the order in which they are to be viewed, and include:
  • Title of artwork
  • Medium
  • Dimensions (H” x W” x D”), if applicable
  • Location (City, State. Neighborhood), if applicable
  • Year work was completed
  • Brief and succinct description of artwork
  • If work is presented as part of a collaboration, explain your role in the larger project and credit design team or individual collaborators by name and role
• Name the file with the applicant’s last name: “Smith_Artwork Description Sheet”

Questions?

Contact Allison Hyde, Arts Coordinator, at ahyde@auburnwa.gov or 253-804-5043.

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria