The Medford Arts Council has announced a new public art project, featuring original creative banners to be hung in three separate business districts in the city. This project aims to enhance the vitality of our neighborhood squares and promote Medford as a destination for the arts.
The initiative will make use of utility and light poles as supports for compelling printed artwork that is well-designed for display in busy outdoor settings. The first installation of banners will occur in Medford Square, with two additional locations to be announced later in the year.
The Medford Arts Council will conduct an open competition that seeks to draw in the participation of artists and designers from throughout the region. Selected participants will receive a $500 honorarium and have their work promoted by the council’s website and social media. The deadline for the first round of proposals is June 20, 2016.
The Medford Arts Council has published on its website a Request for Proposals (RFP) explaining the design specifications for the banners, including requirements for size, layout, and submission. The selected designs will be printed on vinyl and installed by the City of Medford. The RFP is available at:
http://www.medfordartscouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/RFP-Medford-Art-Banner.pdf
There is no requirement that banners adhere to specific themes or imagery, so long as the artwork conforms to the published specifications, seeks to be visually legible from the street level, and is appropriate for display in public spaces. The banners could be considered an opportunity for independent visual expression and/or an exploration of Medford-related content of the artist’s choosing.
Similar initiatives in surrounding communities have successfully engaged the public to look at their neighborhood centers in fresh ways, and we hope for the same!
Annual funding provided by the City of Medford enables the Medford Arts Council to bring this public art initiative to our neighborhood squares and business districts. Our local priorities, derived from community input, also include a call for new public art projects that may be proposed by the community and funded by our annual grants. Consider applying this fall for funding to develop other exciting public art for Medford!