Art Competition for Utility Box Designs

Building on the success of the Painting the Town and Building Blocks utility box projects, the Shaker Arts Council (SHAC) is pleased to announce this year’s project: SHAC on TRAC.  In collaboration with the Reginal Transit Authority (RTA), SHAC is sponsoring a juried art competition for the design of utility boxes located along Shaker Heights rapid tracks.

We are inviting our local artists to participate.  Please download the attached template and application.  All designs must be submitted electronically on the template provided.  Designs and applications must be submitted to SHAC via email (info@shakerartscouncil.org) no later than Friday 30 April 2021.

Eligibility: Applicants must be 21 years or older and live or work in Shaker Heights or reside in the Shaker Heights School District.

Applicants may submit more than one (1) design, but each must be submitted in a separate email.  There are no entry fees.  Artists will retain all copyrights to their artwork.  Artists whose designs are selected will receive a $500.00 stipend after the work is installed.

All entries must be anonymous.  Do not sign your submittal nor indicate your name on the submitted design document.  SHAC’s jury Chair for this year’s program is André Taylor, Art Educator.  Since all of the boxes have slightly different dimensions, artists whose work is selected may have to reformat their designs to fit the matched boxes.

Design Criteria:

• Black or very dark backgrounds are not permitted.
• Words are not permitted in the designs, per the City of Shaker Heights code.
• Art created in non-digital media must be digitized for submittal.
• Final designs must be submitted as camera-ready, 600 dpi files.

By submitting a design proposal, all artists agree to:

• allow SHAC to use images of the designs on printed materials and websites for promotional purposes only;
• allow SHAC to photograph the work;
• allow SHAC to submit the proposal to the city’s Shaker Heights Arts Task Force for their final approval and to modify the design, if necessary, to meet its requirements.

Artists whose works are not selected are welcome to ask the SHAC for jury feedback.