made in mandan

Art on a Box Program

City of Mandan and AARP Present Art on a Box; Utility Boxes Transformed into Public Art Downtown - June 2023

Project Overview
The City of Mandan and Community Beautification Committee are pleased to announce the Art on a Box Program. In partnership with AARP of North Dakota, we are excited to transform utility cabinets into visually appealing, enjoyable additions to public spaces. Designs should relate to the culture, history, important people, and/or landscape of Mandan and Morton County. Click here to view the official Call for Artists. Art shall be submitted to the City no later than 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 16, 2022. Interested artists are to submit digital designs and/or questions to City of Mandan Planner Andrew Stromme and Communications and Community Services Coordinator Kari Schmidt.

Eligibility
This call for artists is open to artists that are residents of Mandan, employed in Mandan, or any other outside artist. Submissions by novice and professional artists will be accepted. Previous experience working on public art projects is not necessary. Entrants under age 18 must have parental or guardian permission to submit.

Project Location
In 2021, 10 new utility cabinets were installed in downtown Mandan as part of the Main Street and Library/Dykshoorn Park Projects. In an effort to support local artists, and beautify the community, the City intends to wrap these new cabinets with public art. The goal of the project is to promote civic pride, highlight the community’s diversity and promote a sense of belonging.

Project Theme
The project is themed “Life West of the Missouri” with sub-categories described below. Artists are encouraged to submit visual arts that fit these theme. Designs not relating to the thematic categories will be accepted and reviewed.

  • Culture of Mandan/Morton County
  • History of Mandan/Morton County
  • People of Mandan/Morton County
  • Landscape of Mandan/Morton County

Policies
In order to be eligible to participate in this install, the City requests submitting artists comply with the following policies:

  • Art should convey a sense of belonging
  • Art should be appropriate for its site in the community
  • Designs shall discourage tagging by limiting available amounts of blank space
  • If submitting two pieces of art, please make a similar theme so they may be placed together
  • Designs must be original art work from the artist. It is not required to be a new piece, and can be an earlier work from the applicant. Art may not violate any copyright restrictions
  • Designs must appeal to a broad constituency
  • No design may contain a traffic signal or sign as part of its design
  • No design may contain advertisements, political messages, religious statements, adult images, or inappropriate words
  • The City and North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) reserve rights to terminate the program as a whole, or as it applies to any individual box project at any time, in the City’s or NDDOT sole discretion, and to return any utility box to a condition the City or NDDOT shall determine necessary or appropriate
  • Selected artists will be required to complete/sign a release and waiver of liability, assumption of risk, and indemnity agreement
  • All submitted art must comply with City ordinances related to public art (Section 101-1-17)
  • All art shall be subject to a maintenance and encroachment agreement
  • Box wraps that are vandalized may be removed if not fixable
  • Utility boxes are public infrastructure and therefore final designs approved by the Selection Committee may not be approved by NDDOT

Selection Criteria

  • Involve a broad range of people/communities. Will a broad range of people connect with the image emotionally?
  • Value artists and artistic process: Will this image celebrate the range and talent of North Dakota creative artists? Does this image not include any branding or commercial imagery?
  • Use resource wisely: Is the design adaptable to a range of box sizes and shapes?

Selection Process
The Utility Box Art committee will review all designs and select (10) designs and (3) alternative designs. The Utility Box Art Committee will consists of the following:

  • Two community members, appointed by the City Commission
  • One representative from the Community Beautification Committee
  • One representative from the Architectural Review Commission
  • One representative from the Mandan Progress Organization
  • One representative from Mandan’s Youth Engagement Initiative
  • One City commissioner and the City’s appointed project liaison (non-voting members)

Artist Incentive
AARP of North Dakota has provided a $350 per artist incentive for each utility box to be wrapped with public art. The incentive is to serve as compensation for the artists’ work and talent.

Call for Artists
Project Area Map
Templates