Utility Box Art Project 2022

Concord Art Association announces the third phase of the City of Concord Utility Box Art Project, which includes ten (10) traffic control boxes located throughout Concord.

Concord Utility Box Art Project 2022

This call for art has closed.

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

The City of Concord will determine the locations for painting the boxes. Some boxes may be painted at a central location; others may be painted on site.

The City of Concord will install the traffic control boxes as part of a much larger project over a period of a year, beginning in August 2022. It is anticipated that the painting of these ten boxes will begin in August. The schedule may change due to factors outside 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 a standard liability waiver and release. The painting schedule for all ten 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 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 April 15, 2022. All requirements will be due in late May or early June. More information about the new schedule coming soon.. All requirements listed below must be met or the application will be removed from consideration:

Complete application
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.
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.
Submit a non-refundable entry fee through the PayPal link on the JotForm: $10 for CAA members; $15 for non-members. Mail checks to Concord Art Association, PO Box 641, Concord, CA 94522-0641.
Questions? Email concordartassociation@yahoo.com. Please put "Utility Box Art" 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 age, race, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, origin, or disability, will be considered.

DESIGN CRITERIA

Use the provided Box Dimensions to submit a design concept. Changes to the design may be required to accommodate site requirements. 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.
Designs must include all visible sides. Tops of boxes over 50" high are not considered visible.
Utility boxes contain electrical equipment that can become hot; thus, to prevent overheating, large areas of black or dark colors are not allowed.
Designs should include bold forms and vibrant colors that can be easily viewed by motorists and passing pedestrians. The entire box must be painted except for the concrete base.
Designs must not contain representations of traffic lights, signs or signals.
Designs may include text; however, the text may not be an advertisement or promotion.
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.
Successful designs will “wrap” the imagery around all faces of the box in a continuous flow.
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.
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 of the Concord Art Association will select the semi-finalists based on a review of how well the artists captured the vision for the theme and artistic merit. The City of Concord has final approval on 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 waiver and release.

PAINTING SCHEDULE

Concord Art Association will announce dates for painting which will be dependent on weather and other factors. All Artist Agreements must be signed prior to the commencement of painting.

INSTALLATION INFORMATION

Due to outdoor exposure and functioning electrical components located inside the utility boxes, the City of Concord has specified the following steps and products for this project.

BOX LOCATIONS

The painted boxes will be located on major roads throughout the City of Concord. The schedule and exact location of boxes will be provided when the winning designs are announced.

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 or proposals from any or all participating artists.

While ten (10) utility boxes have been identified for this phase of the project, the City reserves the right to reduce that number if it’s in the best interests of the City. The City reserves the right to accept or reject, at any time prior to the commissioning of a work, any or all proposals or any part thereof submitted in connection with this solicitation and to advertise for new proposals where the acceptance, rejection waiver, or advertisement would be 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. The artwork is a long-term installation and will become the property of the City of Concord.