The City of Port St. Lucie wants to tap into the creativity of local artists to help transform utility boxes into pieces of art, depicting the City as fun, vibrant, active, beautiful, diverse and connected.
The City is seeking unique artwork appropriate for a public space where it will be viewed by citizens and guests of all ages. There are two calls for artists that have different time frames and themes, with an overall goal to beautify local streets, sidewalks and neighborhoods.
For the first call for artists, the artwork must be submitted between Sept. 10 and Sept. 25, 2020. The selected images will be featured on five utility boxes during the grand opening celebration of the Winterlakes Neighborhood Park in Torino. The artwork must be themed specifically to the Torino area, and the submission must include a short description of what the artwork would mean to the community.
Artwork for the second call for artists must be submitted between Sept. 10 and Oct. 12, 2020. The artwork will be used to replace wraps on a select number of utility boxes as they show wear. Several new boxes also have been identified to be wrapped, including some at local businesses. In addition, the City will create a cache of photos readily available for future beautification projects. The artwork must be themed to develop a sense of community pride and to represent Port St. Lucie as “A City for All People.” Along with the artwork, the artist must include a short description of how the piece showcases the unique character of the City and its neighborhoods.
Artists of all ages (they do not need to be professionals) are encouraged to submit an image for consideration. It’s easy to apply. Artists can submit a color sample of their art electronically in .jpeg format to NICE@cityofpsl.com. The file should be of the highest quality possible and all artists should only submit one piece of art. If more than one submission is received, it will not be accepted until the artist declares one single piece for submittal. Provide your name, contact information and title of the piece with your submission. Minors must submit the name, relationship and contact information of their guardian.
The City will accept a wide variety of artwork, including drawings, paintings and photographs. There are no restrictions on the type of art, other than it must be submitted as a high-resolution digital .jpg file with landscape orientation. If you are taking a photograph of original artwork, make sure it is cropped and clear, without other objects in the frame.
All the submitted images will be provided to the installer who will review them for printability. Then, the images will be reviewed by the City’s Public Art Advisory Board (PAAB) in October. The PAAB will make selections based on artistic qualities and relation to themes and forward its recommended selections to the City Council for final approval.
Artists will not be compensated, but they can have a signature in a 16-inch by 16-inch space on the wrap. Other contact information cannot go on the image, but it will be shared on the City’s website and social media. The City will have the right to use and duplicate the artwork for a period of five years.
Artists with questions are encouraged to contact the City’s Neighborhood Services Department at 772-871-7395 or email NICE@cityofpsl.com.
