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Apply for 2026 Traffic Box Art Application program

Downtown Bloomington, Inc., in partnership with the City of Bloomington Requests Artist Qualifications for Downtown Traffic Box
Downtown Bloomington, Inc., in partnership with the City of Bloomington invites artists and artist teams to submit an application, including qualifications, to design and paint a traffic box in downtown Bloomington. The budget for this project is $750 artist honorarium; materials and supplies will be paid for by Downtown Bloomington, Inc. of up to $500. The deadline to apply is September 13th, 2026.
 

Who Can Apply?
Artists located in Monroe or surrounding counties (Morgan, Brown, Owen, Green, Jackson, and Lawrence). Must be age 18 or above and a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or otherwise lawfully authorized to reside/work in the United States.
 

Project Summary
Downtown Bloomington, Inc., in partnership with the City of Bloomington invites artists and artist teams to submit qualifications to design and paint a traffic box in downtown Bloomington. If selected, the artist will develop a traffic box design that will visually represent Bloomington’s native flowers, nature or wildlife. Designs should be vibrant, colorful, and may be representational or abstract. Artworks must adhere to the City’s Art in the Right of Way policy. The budget for this project is $750 artist honorarium; materials and supplies will be paid for by Downtown Bloomington, Inc. of up to $500.
 

Timeline

  • Application Opens: August 31st, 2026
  • Application Deadline: September 13th, 2026
  • Artist Selected: Week of September 20, 2026
  • Final Design Due: Monday, October 5th
  • Painting Installation: October 20th- November 16th
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How to apply

  1. Requirements

    • Professional Resume or Curriculum Vitae (2 pages maximum)
      • Outline your experience as an artist. In the case of a team application, include resumes for each team member. As an abbreviated resume or curriculum vitae, this should be no more than 2 pages.
    • Up to three samples of previous art work/project
      • Provide a set of up to 3 images per artwork/project, numbered in priority order of desired presentation. Each image must include the artist's name and title of artwork
      • Provide a 3-5 sentence summary per artwork/project design and concept
    • Statement of Interest
      • Maximum 1 page outlining your interest in this specific commission, your artistic approach, and how your past experience equips you for this project.

  2. Selection and Evaluation Criteria

    A selection panel including members of Downtown Bloomington, Inc., the Bloomington Arts Commission and City of Bloomington staff, will review all eligible submissions. Each will be evaluated using the following criteria.
     

    • Artistic Excellence & Craftsmanship: Demonstrated artistic vision and aesthetic merit in previous projects.
    • Relevant Experience: Successful, creative, and innovative work in comparable projects or potential for new work to be accomplished in the public sphere
    • Conceptual Alignment: Ability to understand a locale’s sense of place, and design in a context-sensitive manner
    • Collaboration: Openness to working collaboratively with the project team members and relevant stakeholders, with excellent communication skills

  3. Questions?

    If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Christina Elem, Special Projects Manager, christina.elem@bloomington.in.gov.

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