Call to Artist: Capitol Box Art Revival

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Capitol Area Development Authority (CADA) with the Sacramento Office of Arts + Culture (OAC) invite artists (and artist teams) who are 18 years or older, professional artists, and reside within 100 miles of Sacramento to be considered for CADA’s “Capitol Box Art Revival” to submit their qualifications for a new box wrap project in the downtown area of Sacramento.

CADA is the sponsor for this public art project. The original Capitol Box Art Project was launched in 2015. Selected artists were given a 3-year maintenance commitment with the understanding that after that time a new round of artists would be selected to refresh the downtown utility boxes. This opportunity will also give artists a 3-year maintenance commitment. Past artworks (as examples to review) are archived on the Capitol Box Art Project website.

This current opportunity will be in two phases and will commission artists for wrap designs on a total of 34 city owned traffic control utility boxes. A diverse selection panel will determine which artists are selected and for which phase. See timeline below for phase dates and project milestones.

Artists will be selected based on past work and paid $500 to create a design (or designs) that will be transferred to vinyl and wrapped around a City of Sacramento traffic utility box. The artist will be responsible for investigating their box location (provided after artist selection) on site and designing their box wrap to the specifications provided in the box wrap templates (to be provided). Artists should check how their design will fit on their box by physically visiting the site and verifying how their design will work on the particular box. OAC staff will be available for consultation and guidance. Separate project funds have been allocated for the box vendor, maintenance, and a graphic design consultant. There are no additional funds for transportation or other expenses.

The 34 identified utility boxes are owned and operated by the City of Sacramento and are primarily located in CADA’s project area in downtown Sacramento. The artist-designed wraps will be applied (by a licensed vinyl wrap vendor) using a standard fabrication and installation method. Artists can and are encouraged to use a variety of media; photography, painting, collage, and digital imagery to develop their designs.

Project Timeline:
-November 16: Call to Artists Ends
-November 30: Panel meets to Review and Select Artists
-December 4: Selected Artists (Phase 1 and Phase 2) Notified
-March 30, 2021: Final Art due for Phase 1 artists
-May 1, 2021: Phase 1 Box Wraps installed
-September 30, 2021: Final Art due for Phase 2 artists
-November 1, 2021: Phase 2 Box Wraps installed

The chosen artist / artist team will be selected according to the following criteria:
-Innovation, quality, and creativity in previous projects / artwork
-Experience and success in creating a public artwork in collaboration or cooperation with governmental agencies
-Interest in site specific installations, even if artist’s previous work is all studio based

Any questions? Call (916) 808-8493 and dgensler@cityofsacramento.org.