Call for Artists – Request for Proposals

Mt. Comfort Road Corridor Branding Artwork

Opportunity Description

The Coalition for Smart Growth requests proposals from local artists for a sign design that will serve as branding signage for the Mt. Comfort Road Corridor (within Hancock County).  This project will be considered a temporary design installation with an expected minimum lifespan of 2-5 years. 

About the Mt. Comfort Road Corridor

The Mt. Comfort Road Corridor is located in Hancock County from CR 1000N in McCordsville to Steinmeyer Road in New Palestine (see enclosed map).  This 15 mile stretch of road further connects to Hamilton County, including Fishers and Noblesville, and includes an interchange at I-70.  The towns of McCordsville, Cumberland, and New Palestine along with Hancock County, Hancock Health, and NineStar Connect have been working to move the corridor forward including bringing in the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to study the area and make recommendations for future growth.  One of the recommendations was to brand the corridor and install consistent signage along it.  The coalition is putting this request out to do just that.  The full ULI report can be viewed at http://mountcomfortcorridor.com/.   

Project Description

Examples of similar signage types are enclosed.  The signs will be mounted onto a single black pole.  Text to be included with the graphic is “Mt. Comfort Corridor”.  Signs will be placed approximately one (1) to two (2) miles apart along the entire length of the road. The design should reflect the character of the corridor and capture the essence of the future of corridor as described in the ULI Report.   The successful artist will receive a $500 stipend through a generous donation to the program from Hancock Health and Ninestar Connect.  The successful artist will not be responsible for any construction, fabrication, installation, or maintenance of the signs.  The final design will be delivered to the Coalition in high quality jpeg and pdf format.  By submitting an entry, Artist consents to license the use of the design to the Coalition for signage and any other lawful purpose it may deem appropriate to promote the Mt. Comfort Road Corridor.  The Coalition also reserves the right to modify the chosen design as it deems appropriate (ie. color changes, etc).   The signage will only be installed along the Corridor within Hancock County.   

Design Considerations

  • Anticipated Surface Area: 2-6 SF
  • Signs anticipated to be mounted on a single-pole
  • Poles and back-side of the signage will be black
  • Signage anticipated to be constructed in summer of 2020

Timeline

  • Call for Proposals:  March 5, 2020
  • Proposal Deadline: May 4, 2020 at 4 p.m.
  • Interviews: May 11-29, 2020 (Coalition may elect not to conduct interviews)
  • Artist Notification:  June 2020

Selection Criteria

Artwork will be selected based on creativity, relationship to the corridor and ULI Report, and adaptability.  The following bullet points include some specific items that will be considered:

  • The artist shall be open to some adaptations to the design following selection
  • The design shall be adaptable to various media types (ie. banners, larger signs, letterhead, etc)
  • Design shall be capable of portraying its intended message to vehicles travelling up to 55 MPH
  • The artwork shall be reflective of the corridor.

Required Submission Materials

  • Image of at least 1 proposed design
  • Written explanation of your design
  • A minimum of 3 other examples of your work
  • Biographical info or resume with contact info
  • Additional guidelines:
    • No submittals will be allowed after the deadline.
    • Incomplete or ineligible submissions will not be reviewed.
    • Review of applications will be based on the required submission documents, no other documents will be considered.

How to Submit

  • Email Required Submission Materials to info.mountcomfort@gmail.com. If file size is too big for an email, artist may email a compressed zip file or link to a cloud-based file storage source, such as Dropbox or Google Docs.
  • All submission due no later than 4pm on May 4, 2020

Examples of Similar Signage Types

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