The Downtown Partnership invites artists to participate in the Downtown A.R.T. Project by submitting original works of art to be applied to the traffic signal boxes within the Downtown Business Improvement District.

The goal of the A.R.T. project is to add vibrant public art to the streetscape and decrease the instances of graffiti, poster and sticker vandalism on traffic control boxes. Once applied with art, rather than attracting vandalism the boxes will be functional pieces of public art that contribute significantly to the vitality and attractiveness of the downtown streetscape.

The selected pieces of art will be digitally applied to a high-quality 3M vinyl product by the Clean Slate Group. Clean Slate will then install the printed vinyl to the traffic control box. The process is very similar to applying graphic vinyl to vehicles. The 3M vinyl includes a graffiti resistant laminate to facilitate any future clean-up.

The Downtown Partnership is interested in artwork that will foster community pride and convey Bozeman’s unique sense of place. Special consideration will be given to artwork that captures Downtown Bozeman’s vitality and its contribution to the city as a whole, such as art, music, community events, historic architecture and the natural surroundings. Interpretive artwork and abstract subject matter will also be considered.

The Downtown A.R.T. Project Committee–made up of artists, art professors, downtown representatives and project staff–will review applications and select the final pieces of artwork. Applications and art submittals are due by 5:00pm Friday, April 27, 2012. The final selections will be made by Monday, May 7, 2012. The installations will take place in May 2012. Applications are available by contacting the Downtown Bozeman Partnership.

In November of 2011 the Downtown Partnership and Clean Slate Group wrapped the traffic control box at the corner of Main Street and Rouse Avenue with printed vinyl. The pilot installation served as a field test of the process to evaluate the functionality, durability, and aesthetic of the vinyl. The box depicts images of historic downtown buildings many of which were demolished long ago.

The pilot installation was a success on all accounts. The City of Bozeman and Montana Department of Transportation have approved wrapping the remaining ten traffic control boxes in the downtown district with artistically printed vinyl.