Public Art Project: Electrical Boxes & Traffic Signal Cabinets

Call For Artists

Background

Building on the success of the previous community’s traffic signal cabinet and electrical box artwork projects, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent is looking to wrap traffic cabinets and electrical boxes with artwork by local artists. Artwork added to traffic cabinets is considered temporary with a maximum lifespan of 5 years.

Award

$500 (excluding HST) will be awarded for each artwork selected. Payment will be issued to successful artists once the final digital files are provided at an acceptable resolution for large-format printing and an agreement is signed allowing for its reproduction and use up to five (5) times by the Municipality.

Eligibility

  • Open to Artists of any experience level (emerging, mid-career and established).
  • Open to Artists currently residing or practicing in the Chatham-Kent area
  • Artists under 18 years of age are eligible to apply but must have their parent or legal guardian sign all required documents on their behalf.
  • Municipality of Chatham-Kent employees are not eligible to submit proposals to this call.
  • Artists may submit more than one proposal to this call. Each proposal should be submitted separately.
  • Subject matter must be suitable for all ages.

Project Goals and Themes

Public art designs should be vibrant, positive works focused on celebrating the stories and features of our community. Artists are encouraged to consider the many untold stories of Chatham-Kent and the way all parts of the community – the people, the natural environment, the built environment.

Site

The land that is known as Chatham-Kent today was established as part of Treaty #2, the McKee Purchase Treaty of 1790. At that time, the land was also inhabited by the Three Fires Confederacy: the Odawa, Potawatomi and Ojibwe. These Indigenous Nations, known as the Anishinaabeg and Lunaapeew, agreed to the mutual sharing of the land, with obligations and responsibilities to the environment. Today, Chatham-Kent neighbours, the Lunaapeew at Delaware Nation, which is part of the McKee Purchase Treaty, as well as the unceded territory of the Bkejwanong Walpole Island First Nation. Chatham-Kent continues to be home to diverse First Nations Peoples and Métis Peoples. As beneficiaries of the treaty, we recognize all Peoples have responsibilities including collective responsibilities to the land and water.

Design and Technical Considerations

Refer to Materials and Methods for details.

Submission Requirements

All proposals are to be submitted online via Let’s Chatham-Kent.

Proposals shall include the following information:

  1. Artist Contact Information: this form is part of the online application.
  2. Artist Concept Statement: A short written explanation of the proposed work suitable for public presentation (350 words maximum) submitted in PDF format including:
    1. The name/title of the proposed artwork;
    2. A description of how the Artist’s approach addresses the project goals and themes;
    3. A description of the artwork concept including the Artist’s unique and original perspective.
  3. Image of Proposed Artwork: An image or sketch of the proposed work in full colour on the layout as provided by the Municipal. Images are to be provided in either JPG/JPEG/PDF format at a minimum resolution of 150 dpi. See Appendix C for the layout.
  4. Artist Bio and Past Work: A short artist bio (200 words maximum) and up to four (4) images of past work by the artist. Images should be identified with title, date, and medium. Images can be of any past artwork (not required to be a sample of public art or professional presentation). Artists' bio and images are to be formatted in a PDF document not to exceed three (3) 8.5”x11” pages.

Selection Process

All proposals received by the submission deadline will be reviewed by Municipal staff to confirm that they meet the eligibility requirements.

The jury, comprised of municipal staff, citizens and local artists, will adjudicate all eligible proposals using the selection criteria listed below. Municipal staff are involved as non-voting members and participate in facilitating the process.

Proposals with the highest score will be selected. Proposals that don’t meet the minimum points requirement will not be considered.

The identity of the jurors is kept confidential until the winning proposal is announced.

Submission Deadline and Delivery

Proposals will be received via Let’s Talk Chatham-Kent up to and including Thursday, August 24, 2023, at 4:00 PM (EST)

Late submissions will not be accepted.

Schedule (subject to change)

  • Submission Deadline August 24, 2023, at 4:00pm
  • Artists Selected August/September 2023
  • Printing and Installation Starting September 2023

Reserved Rights and Privileges of the Municipality

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent reserves the right to not award the commission to any Artist and to cancel or re-issue the call at any time.

Call For Artists

Background

Building on the success of the previous community’s traffic signal cabinet and electrical box artwork projects, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent is looking to wrap traffic cabinets and electrical boxes with artwork by local artists. Artwork added to traffic cabinets is considered temporary with a maximum lifespan of 5 years.

Award

$500 (excluding HST) will be awarded for each artwork selected. Payment will be issued to successful artists once the final digital files are provided at an acceptable resolution for large-format printing and an agreement is signed allowing for its reproduction and use up to five (5) times by the Municipality.

Eligibility

  • Open to Artists of any experience level (emerging, mid-career and established).
  • Open to Artists currently residing or practicing in the Chatham-Kent area
  • Artists under 18 years of age are eligible to apply but must have their parent or legal guardian sign all required documents on their behalf.
  • Municipality of Chatham-Kent employees are not eligible to submit proposals to this call.
  • Artists may submit more than one proposal to this call. Each proposal should be submitted separately.
  • Subject matter must be suitable for all ages.

Project Goals and Themes

Public art designs should be vibrant, positive works focused on celebrating the stories and features of our community. Artists are encouraged to consider the many untold stories of Chatham-Kent and the way all parts of the community – the people, the natural environment, the built environment.

Site

The land that is known as Chatham-Kent today was established as part of Treaty #2, the McKee Purchase Treaty of 1790. At that time, the land was also inhabited by the Three Fires Confederacy: the Odawa, Potawatomi and Ojibwe. These Indigenous Nations, known as the Anishinaabeg and Lunaapeew, agreed to the mutual sharing of the land, with obligations and responsibilities to the environment. Today, Chatham-Kent neighbours, the Lunaapeew at Delaware Nation, which is part of the McKee Purchase Treaty, as well as the unceded territory of the Bkejwanong Walpole Island First Nation. Chatham-Kent continues to be home to diverse First Nations Peoples and Métis Peoples. As beneficiaries of the treaty, we recognize all Peoples have responsibilities including collective responsibilities to the land and water.

Design and Technical Considerations

Refer to Materials and Methods for details.

Submission Requirements

All proposals are to be submitted online via Let’s Chatham-Kent.

Proposals shall include the following information:

  1. Artist Contact Information: this form is part of the online application.
  2. Artist Concept Statement: A short written explanation of the proposed work suitable for public presentation (350 words maximum) submitted in PDF format including:
    1. The name/title of the proposed artwork;
    2. A description of how the Artist’s approach addresses the project goals and themes;
    3. A description of the artwork concept including the Artist’s unique and original perspective.
  3. Image of Proposed Artwork: An image or sketch of the proposed work in full colour on the layout as provided by the Municipal. Images are to be provided in either JPG/JPEG/PDF format at a minimum resolution of 150 dpi. See Appendix C for the layout.
  4. Artist Bio and Past Work: A short artist bio (200 words maximum) and up to four (4) images of past work by the artist. Images should be identified with title, date, and medium. Images can be of any past artwork (not required to be a sample of public art or professional presentation). Artists' bio and images are to be formatted in a PDF document not to exceed three (3) 8.5”x11” pages.

Selection Process

All proposals received by the submission deadline will be reviewed by Municipal staff to confirm that they meet the eligibility requirements.

The jury, comprised of municipal staff, citizens and local artists, will adjudicate all eligible proposals using the selection criteria listed below. Municipal staff are involved as non-voting members and participate in facilitating the process.

Proposals with the highest score will be selected. Proposals that don’t meet the minimum points requirement will not be considered.

The identity of the jurors is kept confidential until the winning proposal is announced.

Submission Deadline and Delivery

Proposals will be received via Let’s Talk Chatham-Kent up to and including Thursday, August 24, 2023, at 4:00 PM (EST)

Late submissions will not be accepted.

Schedule (subject to change)

  • Submission Deadline August 24, 2023, at 4:00pm
  • Artists Selected August/September 2023
  • Printing and Installation Starting September 2023

Reserved Rights and Privileges of the Municipality

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent reserves the right to not award the commission to any Artist and to cancel or re-issue the call at any time.

Page last updated: 25 Aug 2023, 08:28 AM