ArtHERE.org announcing DOT'S URBAN ART PROGRAM: OPEN CALL FOR ASPHALT ART IN THE LES

  • Location: DOT'S URBAN ART PROGRAM, the intersection of Division/Ludlow & Canal Streets, which is a stone's throw from the East Broadway, New York, New York, US
  • Deadline: Nov 1 2013 at 11:55PM
  • outbound link ↱
SPACE AVAILABILITY

The artist that we select with this Open Call will then be presented to DOT as part of our grant application for the Urban Art program. The grant application deadline is November 16th, as such, our artist will be selected by a panel of judges in the fall and if our application is chosen, we will set our sights on a spring installation. We are planning to implement this installation as part of a larger public art narrative that will be taking place throughout the greater Lower East Side over the coming year.

LOCATION SPECS

Well, it's asphalt. A triangular patch of it, to be specific. It is located at the intersection of Division/Ludlow & Canal Streets, which is a stone's throw from the East Broadway F Train and is also right around the corner from Seward Park, so there will be tons of foot traffic. Right now, parallel sets of traffic stripes already exist currently on this patch of asphalt and there is a smaller platform triangle within the triangle that is not part of the asphalt. The site dimensions of the full space are 125 x 90 x 52 (2006 sq ft) with the smaller inserted triangle having dimensions of 40 x 36 x 20 (288 sq ft), giving the "canvas" a total of 1,718 sq ft. The procedure to paint the street, which will not include painting the interior smaller triangle, will begin with the creation of as flat of a white surface as possible via a layer of Thermo-Plast, which will serve as the Asphalt Art canvas. Then the pattern will be stenciled and filled in by a team of artists/volunteers on top of said Thermo-Plast.

GUIDELINES / RESTRICTIONS

Concepts should be design or pattern-based, as opposed to character-based; designs which can be repeated and installed simply by stencil. Any sort of design that either consistently and methodically repeats itself, or one that invites the visitor in to explore via optical illusion will work best. Any color palette can be used, but keep in mind that this is the street, so the purpose is to brighten it up. The best designs are those which can be enjoyed both close up and from far away. DOT's Urban Art website encourages designs that:

-Consist of a simple, bold pattern that can be painted using stencils.
-Consider the palette where these actual designs will be taking place. It is a street so there will be uneven asphalt patches.
-Are 100% authentic and original and do not infringe upon any copyright or the rights of any person.
Applicants must also provide examples of past artwork that demonstrates proficiency in design. Also, previous experience with large agency collaborations is a plus.

BUDGET / STIPEND

As mentioned, all of this is dependent upon receipt of the DOT Urban Art grant. According to the DOT website, if acquired, each artist will be awarded an honorarium in the amount of $2,000 to accomplish the following tasks:
1. Complete final design
2. Produce stencils
3. Oversee implementation process
Additionally, each artist will receive a $1,000 stipend to cover the cost of materials to produce stencils to translate the design onto the asphalt. DOT will be provide all of the paint, materials and tools to paint the design.

Lastly, DOT will provide signage for the project and feature the project on all DOT social media outlets.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

This project will bring the artist or designer extreme exposure in not just one of Manhattan's most creative neighborhoods, but will also offer exposure through DOT's Urban Art program, which features installations throughout the five boroughs.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Your proposal has to not only be compelling and strong enough to be selected by our panel of judges, but also compelling enough to then receive the grant from DOT. Keep in mind that this proposal will eventually be competing with folks around the city that are applying for opportunities in all five boroughs.

If you have specific questions about the opportunity, please contact Project Curator, Natalie Raben, at [email protected] or (212) 226-9010