The City of San Luis Obispo will issue a Request for Proposals, which will be posted to the Box Art Program webpage, on May 6, 2024. Design submissions will be accepted through Monday, June 10, 2024.
“Utility boxes throughout our community have been serving as ‘canvases’ for original art pieces for years,” said City Public Art Coordinator Amanda Grieshop. “Initially, the idea was to prevent graffiti in the downtown core, but the program became so popular that it quickly grew. Now, we’re looking to spruce up some of the canvases with new art.”
The City will pay an $800 stipend for selected box art renderings. The box art program is open to individual artists, a team of artists or community groups with a designated lead artist who have the vision and skills required to complete the project to the highest standards of innovation and technical expertise. Qualifying applicants must reside in San Luis Obispo County. An Art Selection Jury will recommend the selected artwork to City’s Community Development Director for final approval.
The City’s Box Art Program began in 2010 to add to the vitality and attractiveness of San Luis Obispo while also deterring graffiti and adding to the curb appeal. There are 65 public utility boxes in San Luis Obispo painted with original artwork by local artists, residents, students and community members. This calendar year, about 20 more utility boxes will be covered with new art. The first 10 will be covered this summer and the other 10 will be covered in October.
This time around, however, boxes will not be painted on directly. Instead, selected artwork will be printed onto vinyl wraps that will cover the utility boxes. This means that any media which can be photographed and digitized or scanned and digitized can be used to create the design. Photography, sculpture, fabric arts, mixed media collage and any digitized design will be accepted in the application.
“It’s time to think outside of the box for the 2024 Box Art Program,” Grieshop said.
For more information and answers to frequently asked questions, visit www.slocity.org/PublicArt.
