The Neighborhood Public Art Grant program is available to all Elgin registered 501(c)3 neighborhood organizations. The program is intended to give the residents of the community a voice in determining the art in their neighborhood and to help further showcase their identity. Two awards of up to $3,250 are available for 3D projects. Applications are due May 6, 2019 at 4pm at City Hall. The ECAC will review and score applications and award recipients will be notified in June of 2019. Residents of the applicant neighborhood are invited to the May meeting of the ECAC to voice support or dissent for the proposed project. Applications can be found online at cityofelgin.org/culturalarts.
The Utility Box Wrapping program is available to artists to have their artwork printed onto vinyl and applied to traffic signal boxes located in downtown Elgin. Utility box wrapping is a program in place in several cities across the world. The program not only deters graffiti but also helps to create a destination and further the idea of placemaking in Elgin. The ECAC intends to wrap two boxes in this year; staff has identified 9 boxes that are possible locations in downtown Elgin. The ECAC will vote on the first box to wrap in April with the second box being determined in August. Once wrapped, these will be included in the Public Art map online. Applications are open to all artists of all levels, worldwide, but preference will be given to Elgin-based artists. Selected Artists shall receive an honorarium of up to $1,500. Artwork will be approved by the ECAC once the application has been submitted. The ECAC will review applications to ensure aesthetic quality, design, integrity, and to determine that the work is appropriate to the setting, architecture, and social context. Artwork shall consist of exceptional quality and have an enduring value to the City. After approval, the application will remain on file for two years. Artists interested in applying should visit the website: www.cityofelgin.org/culturalarts. Businesses may sponsor a particular box by selecting from the artwork available for that location. To sponsor a box and see the existing applications for that location, contact Cultural Arts Manager, Amanda Harris.
To learn more about both of these programs and all things cultural arts, visit cityofelgin.org/culturalarts. For questions or concerns contact Cultural Arts Manager, Amanda Harris at harris_a@cityofelgin.orgor 847-931-6019.
Winners will be announced this spring and will be awarded a $6,500 honorarium. Pieces will be installed before or during the Art Harvest event held on October 26th. Applications can be found online at CityOfElgin.org/PublicArt. Artists should submit their application and proposal to City Hall no later than March 1, 2018 @5pm. For questions or concerns, please contact the ECAC Staff Liaison, Amanda Harris at 847-931-6019 or Harris_A@CityOfElgin.org #publicart #supporthearts #getoutseeart #ExploreElgin
This article was published in Bravo Magazine, an Elgin, Illinois ink-and-paper monthly magazine devoted to arts, entertainment, community events & dining in February 2019.