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Call for Designs for Artistic Crosswalk Downtown

Project Overview

The Knight Creative Communities Institute (KCCI) is seeking creatives to create an artistic crosswalk near the Leon County Courthouse. With support from Leon County Government, the Knight Foundation fund from the Community Foundation of North Florida, and Windwood Communications this public artwork project will expand art access in Leon County while improving pedestrian safety on the roadway by making the crosswalk more visible. Artistic crosswalks improve safety and provide canvases to enhance streetscapes while fostering excitement and building a unique sense of place for residents, students, and visitors.

Creatives are invited to submit original art to be featured on the crosswalk. There is no application fee for artists. A stipend of $500 will be awarded to the selected artist for their winning crosswalk design. Artists may submit up to three designs for consideration in their application. All submissions must be made through the online application by 5 p.m. EST on January 20, 2025.

Read below for details.

Click here to submit your crosswalk design. 

Artist Selection

Submissions will be evaluated through a comprehensive review and selection process to ensure that the selected artwork reflects the goals of this project. Each submission will be reviewed for completeness and adherence to the eligibility requirements and art design criteria outlined in the Call for Artists. The final selection will be based on the evaluation of all criteria. The selected artwork will be announced in February 2025.

Art Design Goals

  • Art shall be inspiring and/or uplifting.
  • Artwork must use no more than the following three colors from the Color-Safe® options: Blue (#0f508a), Gold (#f4b919) and White (#ffffff).
  • Art shall be made up of simple or geometric patterns that can be effectively reproduced on the crosswalk surface.
  • Art shall enhance the surrounding environment and foster a unique sense of place.

Eligibility

  • Submission of original artwork is open to all artists.
  • Artists younger than 18 years old must have a parent or guardian submit a letter of permission to KCCI Executive Director Betsy Couch at Betsy.Couch@KCCITallahassee.com.
  • Artists must submit a high-resolution digital image of the artwork (at least 300 DPI) with the application.
  • Vector files and spot colors may be needed if your crosswalk design is selected.
  • Videos will not be accepted.

Entry Procedure

  • KCCI will only accept online applications by the deadline. 
  • Late entries will not be reviewed or accepted.
  • Each artist may submit up to three separate pieces of art.

Schedule of Process

  • Artist submissions due

− January 20, 2025, by 5 p.m. eastern standard time

  • Selected artwork announced

− February 2025

  • Artwork installed

− Selected artwork design will be installed by a professional installer using the Florida Department of Transportation-approved Color-Safe® material.  The tentative install date is scheduled for a weekend in March. More exact details will be available closer to the install date.

Art Design Criteria

  • Artwork must be original, created by the submitting artist, and free from any infringement, plagiarism, or duplication.
  • Artwork containing nudity, religious imagery, profanity, references to politics, references to gang activity, or references to alcohol or tobacco use will not be considered for this opportunity.
  • Artwork should not contain pictographs, illustrations, or symbols.
  • Artwork must not use representations of traffic lights, signs, signals, maps, or other traffic-type signage.
  • Art should include no more than the three approved colors from the Color-Safe® options: Blue (#0f508a), Gold (#f4b919) and White (#ffffff).
  • Advertisements, logos, or trademarked images are not permitted under any circumstance.
  • Art shall not include words or alphanumeric characters.
  • By submitting their artwork, artists grant KCCI, the contractor, and partners the right to use, reproduce, modify, and publicly display the artwork for purposes related to the project, including but not limited to installation, promotion, and documentation.
  • KCCI, the contractor, and partners reserve the right to scale, crop, or adapt the artwork, including colors, to best fit the dimensions of the
  • The decision of the selection committee is final. The selection committee reserves the right to reject artwork that does not meet the required standards.

Crosswalk Location

The artistic crosswalk will be placed at either the intersection of South Calhoun Street and East College Avenue near the Calhoun Eastside Parking Garage or the intersection of East Jefferson Street and South Calhoun Street near the Leon County Courthouse.

The crosswalks’ full-scale dimensions (real-world measurements) are as follows (and see image below):

  • Calhoun and College (North): 44 feet x 5 feet 8 inches
  • Calhoun and College (South): 35 feet x 5 feet 8 inches
  • College and Jefferson: 34 feet x 5 feet 8 inches

To make the artwork manageable for submission and review, artists can submit their artwork for review at one-tenth of its real-world dimensions:

  • Calhoun and College (North): 52.8 inches x 6.8 inches
  • Calhoun and College (South): 42 inches x 6.8 inches
  • College and Jefferson: 40.8 inches x 6.8 inches

Agreement

  • Submission of an entry form shall imply an agreement on behalf of the artist to all artistic crosswalk conditions.
  • Conditions include reproduction of artwork images for documentation and educational purposes.
  • Artwork cannot be substituted or de-installed once accepted for the project.
  • Artwork may be removed, reprinted, or reinstalled without notice.
  • All artistic crosswalk partners have the right to showcase the artwork for campaign purposes and artists will not receive additional compensation for participation in photographs or videotapes.
  • KCCI, nor partner agencies, shall act as a sales agent.

 

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR CROSSWALK DESIGN.