​Concord Art Association announces Phase 4 of the City of Concord Utility Box Art Project, which includes six (6) traffic control boxes located throughout Concord.

 

Artists, individuals or teams, are invited to apply to paint the traffic control boxes with original artwork. Awards for winning designs will be $1,000 per box.

 

The theme of the project is "Beauty of Concord" We encourage artists to create design proposals that reflect and celebrate the beauty of our community and surroundings.

 

Traffic control boxes are in areas with high vehicular traffic. Designs should be bold and graphic with large shapes that are discernible from the traffic lanes. Winning designs will transform the boxes into "street murals" that will enhance the vibrancy of the city, allow artists to showcase their work, and discourage vandalism on utility boxes.

 

The boxes will be painted onsite. The artists will provide their own tents or other weather protection, chairs, tables, and art supplies. The Concord Art Association will provide the materials for the isolation coat and the final clear coat.

 

The City of Concord has installed new traffic control boxes as part of a much larger project. It is anticipated that the painting of these six boxes will begin in the Fall 2026 to be completed within six weeks from the start. The schedule may change due to factors outside of the control of the Concord Art Association and/or the City of Concord.

 

All artists including every member of a team, will be asked to sign an artist agreement, including standard liability waivers and releases. The painting schedule for all six boxes will be determined by weather and other factors and announced to artists once all agreements have been signed. Concord Art Association will review completed boxes onsite prior to the application by the artists of the isolation and final clear coats to ensure proper use of materials and adherence to the approved design.

 

APPLICATION

Submit applications beginning June 18, 2026. All submissions are due by July 30, 2026. All requirements listed below or the application will be removed from consideration:

1. Complete JotForm application here.

2. Include a statement of 100-250 words describing the inspiration for the proposed design, how it fits the theme, and what makes it a winner.

3. Include no more than 4 JPEG images of the design showing all four sides of the box. JPEGs must be 1090 pixels per side. Design drawings should approximate the shape of the box. The standard dimensions of a control box are H: 56" W:44" D: 28". Some boxes may have an attached power box on a short side: H: 46" W: 20" D: 11". Your design must be able to adapt to having the power box should you be assigned to such box.

4. Submit non-refundable entry fee through Paypal link on the JotForm: $10 for CAA members; $15 for non-members. Or mail a check to Concord Art Association, P.O. Box 641, Concord CA 94522-0641.

5. Questions? Email concordartassociation@yahoo.com with"Utility Box Art Phase 4" in the subject line of your email.

 

ARTIST ELIGIBILITY

The competition is open to artists or teams of artists residing in Contra Costa County. All eligible applicants, regardless of race, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, origin, or disability, will be considered. This is a project for artists 18 years of age and older.

 

DESIGN CRITERIA

1. Use the provided Box Dimensions to submit a design concept. Changes to the design may be required to accommodate site requirements and the addition of a battery box. Please note that there will be at least one 2" x 10" sponsor plaque at eye level on one or more sides of the box. Plaque placement is at the discretion of the Concord Art Association.

2. Designs must include all visible sides. Tops of boxes over 50" high are not considered visible.

3. Utility boxes contain electrical equipment that can become hot; thus, to prevent overheating, large areas of black or dark colors are not allowed.

4. Designs should include bold forms and vibrant colors that can easily be viewed by motorists and passing pedestrians. The entire box must be painted except for the concrete base. [See included paint recommendations.]

5. Designs must not contain representations of traffic lights, signs or signals.

6. Designs may include text; however, the text may not be an advertisement or promotion.

7. Designs may not include any breach of intellectual property, trademarks, brands, images of illegal activities or involve the attachment of any object(s). No emojis are allowed.

8. Successful designs will “wrap” the imagery around all faces of the box in a continuous flow.

9. Artists are invited to sign their boxes. Signatures cannot occupy more than an area of 2" x 10" on the side of the box on which they are placed. Design proposals should indicate where the signature will be located.

10. All artwork must be the artist’s own original work and must not have appeared elsewhere.

 

SELECTION PROCESS

Concord Art Association will screen all proposals for the completeness of the submittal packets and appropriateness of the entries. A committee selected by the Board of the Concord Art Association will select the semi-finalists bases of a review of how well the artists captured the vision for the theme and artistic merit. The City of Concord has final approval on the winning utility box designs. Selected artists will be asked to sign an Artist Agreement with the City of Concord and the Concord Art Association, including standard liability of waiver and release.

 

PAINTING SCHEDULE

Concord Art Association will announce the dates for the painting to commence once the selection of finalists has been made by the City of Concord. The dates will be dependent on weather and other factors. It is expected that each box will be completed within six weeks of the start date. All Artist Agreements must be signed prior to the commencement of painting. 

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RESERVATION RIGHTS

The City of Concord reserves the right to change the project timeline and/or to supplement, amend, or otherwise modify this solicitation and to request additional or supplemental information of proposals from any or all participating artists.

 

While six (6) have been identified for this phase of the overall project, the City reserves the right to reduce that number if it is in the best interests of the City. The City reserves the right to negotiate unacceptable provisions incorporated within an otherwise acceptable proposal.

 

Since the utility boxes are in public locations visible to viewers of all ages, ethnicities and cultural backgrounds, artists shall avoid nudity, suggestive poses, scatological humor, hate speech or imagery that any group might find obscene, offensive or morally shocking. Political, religious or memorial artwork is unacceptable for utility boxes. A proposal which is incomplete, unclear, conditional or which contains objectionable imagery will be rejected without evaluation.

 

Entries that use a copyrighted or trademarked image will not be accepted. In addition, the art must not be plagiarized, stolen, or copied from any other source. Entries must not defame or invade the rights of any person, living or dead.

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The artwork is long-term installation and will become the property of the City of Concord.