The Iowa City Downtown District is excited to invite artists or teams of artists to submit proposals for a new alleyway public art program centering on doorways and vestibules that face onto the public alleyways downtown.
Donor Name: Iowa City Downtown District
State: Iowa
City: Iowa City
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline (mm/dd/yyyy): 05/15/2022
Details:
The doorways on the alleys area vary in size and shape, some being double doors, some single, some with adjacent walls where the door is recessed, and some with doors that are flush. All doorways are on the downtown alleys that service the backsides of buildings downtown and once painted, will provide welcome beautification, surprise, and visual contrast within the alleys.
Examples of doorways downtown included in this program are at the end of this document although exact locations may be subject to change or additional spots will be included in the scope of the project. Please feel free to design around a specific doorway, but know that we will award the designs as best fits the varied proposals, so consideration of designs’ compositional flexibility is an important thing to consider. As the rear side of businesses is often quite divorced in association with the front facade, we are not specifically seeking designs that relate to the current use of the building the doors service.
Project Opportunities and Goals:
A successful project must be:
- A compelling change from the status quo and thoughtful contrast to the surroundings
- An engaging, unique design that beautifies the pedestrian corridor
- Scaled appropriately to the location and traffic patterns within the space
- Stimulate conversation and create a memorable focal point at the very center of Downtown Iowa City
A successful project might also:
- Tell untold or little known stories of Iowa City’s history/culture/aspirations/diversity
- Take risks in engaging residents and visitors intellectually, emotionally, or aesthetically
- Be abstract OR representational in nature, subtle OR bold, simple OR complex
- Celebrate Iowa City as a arts & culture hub of the region including its designation as a UNESCO City of Literature
- Celebrate Iowa City’s natural resources, flora, fauna
For more information, visit Iowa City Downtown District.
