Call for Artists

Local artists are invited to submit original designs for the 2024 Call for Artists. This year, up to two utility boxes will be added to the program through this Call for Artists. Submissions are due by Thursday, May 9, 2024 by 12 p.m.

Artists residing in Dufferin County are invited to submit their original designs using direction provided in the Call for Artists. Any visual medium that can be submitted as a digital image and duplicated in a high-quality large-scale format will be accepted. This includes painting, drawing, photography, and digital art.  

Successful artist submissions must:

• be innovative in design
• foster community pride
• strive to counteract graffiti vandalism
• contribute to a sense of identity for residents and businesses. 

Interested artists are encouraged to review all requirements in the Call for Artists before completing an online submission. 

Locations

Up to two utility box locations will be included in the 2024 installations:

• First Street and Hansen Boulevard – open theme
• First Street, near Swiss Chalet (Hydro transformer) – open theme

Eligibility Criteria

• Artist applicants must reside in Dufferin County.
• Artist applicants must be at least 18 years old.
• Town of Orangeville employees and members of the Town of Orangeville Economic Development and Culture Committee are not eligible to apply.

Design Criteria

Artwork must be submitted by location using the template provided. Artists are encouraged to visit the location(s) and consider how their submission is relevant to the context of the selected area. Artists should consider how the artwork will be displayed on the utility box and note features (e.g. handles, poles, vents), traffic direction, and how the artwork will wrap around the utility box. 

Designs must not contain:

• any representations of traffic lights, signs, or signals;
• advertisement or promotion for any business, product, or viewpoint;
• vulgar, profane, offensive, negative, or insensitive images or writing;
• any breach of intellectual property, trademarks, brands, or images of illegal activity;
• any attachment of any object(s) to the box.

All final designs will be reviewed and approved by the Town of Orangeville. Some changes to the design may be required to accommodate individual site requirements. Artists should understand that the finished works will be on functioning equipment that may need repair or replacing at some point in time. The Town therefore cannot guarantee the duration of exhibition on each utility box. Artists must accept the risk that their artwork may be damaged, altered, or removed at any time after completion. 

Templates

Open theme: Designs should fit the character of Orangeville. Themes may include nature, local history, or celebration of arts and culture. Art will be selected with consideration to scale, form, content, and visibility. Artists are encouraged to visit the location and consider how their design is relevant to the context of the selected location. 

Each location has its own template. To access the template, click the utility box location below. Please right-click on the image to save it to your files.

• First Street and Hansen Boulevard (.png or .pdf)

• First Street, near Swiss Chalet, Hydro transformer (.png or .pdf)

Please note these templates are for submission purposes only. Selected artists will be required to provide full quality, print-ready .jpg or .tiff files of the artwork at their own expense within two weeks of being notified. Artists whose works have been selected for display will be notified by Friday, June 14, 2024. Artwork will be professionally installed using a high-quality vinyl wrap.

Artist Fees and Requirements

Successful artists will receive a $750.00 fee for the design of their work. 

Selected artists will be required to complete and sign an agreement as part of their submission. The Town of Orangeville reserves the right to alter, edit, modify, adapt, reproduce and/or illustrate the artwork for any use, including promotional purposes. 

Selected artists will be required to provide full quality, print-ready .jpg or .tiff files of the artwork at their own expense within two weeks of being notified. 

Jurying

Artwork will be selected by a team of jurors assembled by the Town of Orangeville. Submitted artwork will be evaluated using the following criteria:

• Fulfillment of eligibility and design criteria
• Artistic excellence, both as a standalone image and as an installed piece of art
• Appropriateness of content and design relative to the location and theme (if applicable)
• Quality, visibility, and clarity of image

The Town reserves the right to reject any or all submissions. Although submissions will be juried by location, the jury reserves the right to select the most appropriate final location for selected artwork.  

Submission Requirements

Submit online by 12 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, 2024. Please complete the online form and upload all required documents.

• Artist biography and/or resume (maximum 2 pages)
• Design concept (maximum 1 page) outlining how the proposed artwork fits within the objective of the Call for Artists and enhances the community
• Standalone image of the design concept (minimum resolution of 800 pixels on the shortest side)
• Artist Layout template with design concept overlaid, using the correct template for the selected location(s)

The submission deadline is Thursday, May 9, 2024 at 12 p.m. If you have questions about the details or requirements, please contact us.