Call to Artists RFP for Utility Box Beautification Project

Please read and review ALL application materials including Artist Application Form before applying and/or to answer your questions.

The City of Manhattan Beach is issuing a Request for Proposals for Artists interested in creating artwork for utility boxes throughout the City of Manhattan Beach. Submitted applications will be reviewed and selected by the City’s Cultural Arts Commission with final approval by the City Council.

BACKGROUND
The Utility Box Beautification Project, is a public art program designed to transform common traffic control utility boxes into distinctive works of art, creating a more vibrant, attractive cityscape. This program is under the direction of City Council and is supervised and facilitated by the Cultural Arts Commission and City Staff. The program celebrates local artists and their artwork, acts as a deterrent to graffiti, and involves residents in contributing to the beautification of the city. This program is funded by the 1% for the Arts Program which collects a tax from qualifying construction projects and holds the funds in the Public Arts Trust Fund, reserved for use for Public Art initiatives. 

OVERVIEW
In multiple phases of execution, the City of Manhattan Beach will select and install artwork on existing utility boxes throughout the City. The original artwork can be designed/created in any 2D medium and will be printed on and installed in vinyl or similar material.

For this Phase 2, 12+ boxes located in different sections of the City have been selected.

For this phase 2, only artists from South Bay Beach Cities including Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, or El Segundo will be eligible to apply with preference given to those living, working or attending classes in the City of Manhattan Beach.

ARTIST GUIDELINES AND REQUIREMENTS

A. Eligibility

1. All artists residing, working or attending classes in the Cities of Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach or Hermosa Beach, or El Segundo are eligible.
2. For this Phase 2, residents, students, and those working in the City of Manhattan Beach will receive preferential acceptance status.
3. Entries must be the original design and artwork of the entrant, and suitable for viewing by all ages.

B. Artist Stipend

1. Artists will be awarded a $600 stipend, this is inclusive of all artist fees, supplies, and time spent. Upon selection of the design and execution of the Artist Agreement, artists will receive an initial disbursement of funds at 50% ($300), with the remaining 50% ($300) paid upon completion of the project.
2. Completion of the project must be verified by the Cultural Arts Commission and City Council before funds are disbursed.

C. City Responsibilities

1. City will provide artist with detailed specs of the utility box assigned to each artist.
2. City will install the selected designs as a vinyl (or similar) wrap on each box.
3. City is responsible for maintenance of artwork.
4. The City owns all installed artwork and reserves the right to copy, reproduce and adjust the artwork as it sees fit, in perpetuity.
5. The artist retains the copyright of the artwork.
6. City reserves the right to remove, replace or adjust the artwork as necessary for the duration of the project and/or the artwork.
7. City shall maintain (including replacement when necessary) installed artwork for a minimum of 3 years or until such time that the Utility Box is removed, or the City deems it necessary to remove or replace the artwork. 

D. Artist Responsibilities

1. It is the responsibility of the artist to submit a complete application, by the due date listed at the top of the application, as well as to include all required materials.
2. Artist will be responsible for creating artwork in a digital format suitable for print on vinyl. (PDF, PSD, EPS, AI, or JPG)
3. Artist will be responsible for working directly with the printer/installer of vinyl to assist in adjusting all artwork, files and necessary materials for printing and installation on the utility boxes.
4. In the event that the Artist is selected to create artwork for a location with more than one box, it is the Artist’s responsibility to create additional artwork to compliment the original design. All artwork created and installed in one location will be paid for by the original stipend.
5. The artist retains the copyright of the artwork.

E. Description and Location of Utility Boxes

1. The dimensions of the boxes vary at each location. Some locations have more than one box and artists should include all boxes at a single site in their design.
2. The specific sites and information about the boxes on each site can be found on the Location Map.
3. Artist will be assigned a box, unless the artist specifically requests a location. The City cannot guarantee that the requested location will be assigned to the Artist.

F. General Guidelines

1.  Artwork must be digital. All artwork will be printed on and installed in vinyl or similar material by an installer selected and engaged by the City. No artwork will be applied by artists directly onto any utility box.
2. Art should be visible from a distance.
3. Art cannot restrict any vents or airflow through the box(es), this will be accommodated in the installation process of the vinyl print of artwork.
4. Any nameplates, keyholes, ID numbers, and windows will be cut out and left uncovered.
5. Installation will begin only after design approval and completion of all required liability and contract forms.
6. Artwork is a long-term installation and becomes the property of the City of Manhattan Beach.
7. Artists must complete the project within a stipulated time frame. On acceptance, a time frame will be established.

G. Artwork Themes

1. All artwork must be original, created by the applying artist(s) for this project.
2. Creativity and innovation of design are encouraged.
3. Artwork theme is encouraged but is not required to:

   a. Represent various aspects of the City’s iconic history, past and present
   b. Reflect Manhattan Beach's commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, and Inspiration
   c. Reflect the specific neighborhood or area of the box location, for historical images of Manhattan Beach, please feel free to visit the Manhattan Beach Historical Society website

4. Artwork must not contain

   a. Political statements or persons
   b. Religious references, symbols or numbers
   c. Copyrighted or trademarked material
   d. Corporate or organizational branding

H. Application Requirements

1. Complete and sign an application form, and:

   a. Complete a separate application for each design or proposal.
   b. Include a detailed description outlining your design theme. Indicate if your theme has specific relevance to the City of Manhattan Beach history, culture, heritage or geography; or to a specific location. You may request a particular box location, although there is no guarantee any artist will be assigned their requested location.
   c. Create full color, detailed concept images. Please include 3 views for each design submitted: 1 splayed view, and either 2 detail views, or 1 detail view and 1 ‘in place’ view. Use the template provided or create and use a similar splayed view template. Show each side and top of the largest box. Boxes vary in size and shape, so be prepared to accommodate your design to the specs of your assigned box. Some sites have a additional boxes. If applicable, provide images for those boxes which compliment your main design.
   d. There is no limit on how many designs an artist may submit, however each design MUST be accompanied by its own application filled out in full with all required information and images.
   e. Any incomplete applications may be subject to dismissal from the process.

2. Provide samples of previous work on a similar scale*:

   a. Provide 3 to 5 images of similar work you have completed in the past.
   b. This must include images of at least 3 separate projects with up to 2 details.
   c. Projects may be other than utility boxes, but must be similar in size and scope. Examples included must demonstrate the artist’s ability to work on a large-scale outdoor project completed in digital media such as the printed vinyl used for this initiative. For example: billboards, murals, auto wrap etc.

   All images must be in pdf format
   
   *NOTE: Student applicants under the age of 18 are exempt from this requirement and need NOT submit previous work
   
   
3. Designs are accepted ONLY in the following format:

   a. Pdf files of full color scanned or computer generated art created using the template provided as a guide. Images should be between 150 to 500 dpi.
   b. Be prepared to provide ALL artwork to printer in PDF, PSD, AI, EPS, JPG, or similar format for printing on vinyl (or similar medium).

I. Submission of Entry

1. Complete and sign the Artist Application Form 
2. Complete a detailed description of your design.
3. Attach samples of past work, 3 to 5 images of at least 3 artworks, in pdf format.
4. Attach 3 images of your proposed design.
5. All applications must be received by the date/time at the top of the application.

J. Selection Process and Criteria

1. Designs will be reviewed and selected by the City of Manhattan Beach Cultural Arts Commission and City Staff.
2. All applications will be pre-screened by staff to assure completion of application, adherence to guidelines, appropriateness of subject matter, and quality of submission before being presented to the Cultural Arts Commission for review.
3. The Cultural Arts Commission will submit recommendations for final approval to the City Council. All decisions are final.

Map of Available Utility Boxes

Map of Available Utility Boxes (PDF)

Questions

If you have any questions or need any additional information, please contact the Utility Box Committee through this email.

Emily Brantley
Location: Highland Avenue and Rosecrans Avenue (Southwest Corner)

Emily is a Hermosa Beach artist who has consistently volunteered at Journey of Faith church in Manhattan Beach for the last 16 years.

Kerry Stitt
Location: Rosecrans Avenue and Aviation Boulevard

This photography by Kerry was an aerial photograph of dolphins playing in the shimmering ocean. This was taken with a drone off of the Palos Verdes cliffs. The theme of Kerry’s work is the Ocean.

Monika Petroczy
Location: Rosecrans Avenue and Aviation Boulevard

Monika created this artwork based off of popular activities in Manhattan Beach. She is currently working on 15 utility box murals for cities including Burbank, Glendale, Ventura and San Pedro.

Veronica Escopete
Location: Redondo Avenue and Manhattan Beach Boulevard

Veronica describes her artwork as “Manhattan Beach Schools Represent!” The art relates to Manhattan Beach’s history by displaying the year each school in the City was established as well as having school mascots surfing alongside the pier.

Jon Berry
Location: Redondo Avenue and Manhattan Beach Boulevard

Local designer Jon Berry describes this project as minimal modern style illustration of a beach scene in El Porto.

Greg Gould
Location: Manhattan Beach Boulevard and Peck Avenue

Greg Gould is a Los Angeles based artist who has been actively selling and exhibiting his artwork since the mid 1990’s. Through his work, he hopes to create an inner dialogue (and at times, a debate) in the public at large. He designed this box to be taken from the perspective of a dog.

To date, his works have been included in group shows in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Sydney, Australia, and have been collected in each of those cities on the occasions of those shows. During a period of time from 1999 – 2002, he worked with an internationally exhibiting artist in NYC. At that time, the two of them often traveled through Germany, Switzerland, and France, meeting with curators of various museums and art institutions, mainly on the occasions of the Art Basel and Art Cologne. During these trips, some of their collaborative video works were integrated into the collections of the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart (Germany) and Ludwig Museum, Cologne (Germany).

Alina Skolarus
Location: Northeast corner of Manhattan Beach Boulevard and Sepulveda Boulevard

Alina is a young, local Manhattan Beach artist who is no stranger to submitting her artwork to be showcased in the City. Prior to having her artwork chosen as part of the Utility Box Beautification Program, Alina also had her paintings and mixed media artwork exhibited at the Manhattan Beach Art Center as part of the I Heart MB Art Exhibition in 2015 and Why I Heart MB in 2017.

Although she has lived here her entire life, Alina says she never tires of going to the beach to watch the sunset. In her opinion, Manhattan Beach has the prettiest sunsets.

Amelia Amell
Location: Manhattan Beach Boulevard and Highland Avenue

Amelia Amell is an Art Director, Multidisciplinary Visual Artist and a Humanitarian Advocate with masters degrees in both Spiritual Psychology and Multimedia Communication. As an artist witnessing the emergence of the data era (coined Data-ism) and the onset of Artificial Intelligence, she sees the issue of technology becoming more advanced than the policies that shape these movements. Inspired and concerned, she set out to create works of art that ignite awareness as to the implications of these crossroads from both a cultural policy and humanitarian point of view.

In 2019, with the support of the city of Manhattan Beach and city officials, Amelia created and produced a three-month art exhibit at the Manhattan Beach Arts Center that consisted of drawings, two digital projections, and an installation that spoke about the interconnectedness of the human experience from a perspective of nature, technology and cultural integration in the United States.

Amelia plans to keep contributing to the conversation on the convergence of AI and the human condition throughout her work.

She describes her submission as real surfers heading down the hill towards the Strand and beach. The design is meant to portray an air of peacefulness-a beach city that holds respect for its environment, visitors and neighbors.

Kathleen Keifer is a primarily a Colorist. This is a consistent point of view across her contemporary landscapes, pop art, and figurative work. She began painting at a young age, and studied art at the University of Notre Dame and the Art Institute of Chicago. Her entrance into the fine art world in 1996 was a sold-out solo show at McLean Gallery in Malibu, California. Her next ten Malibu exhibitions launched her into the LA art world, with paintings featured in LACMA and MoMA.

Kathleen Keifer’s art is now represented in galleries all over the world. She is widely collected by prestigious public and private collectors. Her works appears in the collections of James Cameron, Mary Looker, Jack Nicholson, Kelly Clarkson, Kevin Nealon, Barry Manilow, Hilton Hotels, Sidney Austin, Citigroup, Walt Disney Studios, and the United States Historical Society.

In her most recent work, she has arrived at a distinctive style of overlapping colors and textures. This was described by LA magazine as “fluidly capturing pop culture in a tapestry of layered color.”

Sandra Meyer
Location: Southwest corner of Highland Avenue and 15th Street

Sandra Meyer is a landscape photographer from sunny Manhattan Beach in Southern California. Sandra’s work has been driven by her love for travel and exploration, and continuous new adventures keep adding to the portfolio. Sandra grew up in Germany, but has also lived in Asia, the UK, and Australia before finally settling in Southern California. Her travels started early in childhood with her parents, a civil engineer and an apothecary, who took her to new places whenever they could. When she received her first camera at a young age she started capturing both her trips but also her day to day adventures on film.

After high school Sandra decided to take a route that led her into a different direction, when she enrolled in the University of Berlin to study mathematics. After graduating from college Sandra embarked on a successful business career, started and raised a family, and only then Sandra Meyer Photography was born, fulfilling a lifelong dream and passion.

Her work on the utility box is a photograph of the 26th Street Lifeguard Tower at sunset. She says that outdoor activities and beach time are quintessential parts of living in Manhattan Beach.

Derek Billings
Location: Artesia Boulevard and Prospect Avenue

Artist Derek Billings lives, works and raises his family in Manhattan Beach. He currently is a volunteer with many local programs including the Cub Scouts, the Library, and the PTA.