top of page

BEYOND THE BOX - MURAL ART PROGRAM

OVERVIEW

Under this Call for Artists (“CFA”), the Library, Arts & Culture Department (“Library”) of the City of Glendale (“City”) — on behalf of the City’s Arts & Culture Commission (“ACC”) — is accepting proposals from qualified candidates who would like to participate in its’ Beyond the Box – Utility Box Art Program (“Program”).  A successful applicant will be required to adhere to the Program requirements set forth herein below.

​

ELIGIBILITY

This project is open to all local and regional artists. The ACC encourages applications from both new and established artists. Glendale artists may be given preference if all else is equal. Artists may apply as an individual artist or as a group. For group submissions, a signed Release of Liability and Indemnity Agreement for each participating artist must be included in addition to the application form and design template. Group submissions may be for a single utility box or multiple utility boxes. No more than three submissions per individual or group. City of Glendale employees are not eligible to apply.

​

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Glendale Arts and Culture Commission (ACC) sponsors programs that enhance the aesthetics of the City, promotes civic pride, increases pedestrian traffic and extends public art to new areas and unexpected places while creating an attractive environment and allowing art to be introduced to the public in a creative and inventive way. This Call for Artists is for a Beyond the Box - Utility Box Art Program, in which artists will design vinyl utility box wraps for selected utility boxes throughout various locations in Glendale. The program goal is to bring beauty to unexpected places such as public infrastructure and utility boxes.

​

The ACC will fund $750.00 per utility box design rendering only. The ACC will select artwork for five (5) utility boxes. The utility boxes may maintain the integrity of the artwork for a period of 1 year (or when the City, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate to remove or re-paint the utility box).

 

Selected finalists will submit a final design rendering to be printed onto a vinyl wrap which will cover the exterior of a utility box. Artists will not be printing or installing the vinyl wraps. Artists are only responsible for submitting a final design rendering. Original artwork submissions can be created in any 2D medium.​​

​

The ACC would like to encourage artists and community members to create art in the City to beautify the streetscape by incorporating the theme as inspiration for proposal submissions. Artists are not required, but highly encouraged to incorporate volunteers into the art process. Artists may create a template or outline to help volunteers paint the art, or propose another concept for involving volunteers in the art process.

 

THEME

The theme of this year’s Program is Celebrating Glendale. Glendale is a unique city with diverse offerings to residents and visitors, and applicants are encouraged to develop a design focusing on what makes Glendale special. Examples may include historic landmarks such as the Alex Theatre, vibrant outdoor spaces like Verdugo Park and Deukmejian Park, library branches like Brand Library & Art Center, or Glendale Police Department and Glendale Fire Department Wellness K9s, Brisket and Cooper. The ACC would like to encourage artists and community members to create art in the City to beautify the streetscape by incorporating the theme as inspiration for proposal submissions. Artists are highly encouraged to incorporate these characteristics and resources distinct to Glendale in their designs.

 

HOW TO APPLY

Interested artists, art organizations, or schools must complete the application online which can be found at the ACC website: https://www.glendaleartsandculture.org/beyondthebox. Hard copy applications will not be accepted. The application includes the following information which will need to be completed:

​

A. Artist Name


B. Street Address, City, State, Zip Code


C. Email & Phone

​

D. Have you painted a Glendale utility box in the past? Have you painted utility boxes for any other City than Glendale? If so, please list.

​

E. Proposed Artwork - Description

  • Please tell us about your proposed utility box artwork. Include the title of the proposed artwork.

​

F. Proposed Artwork - Design

  • Please upload a high-resolution image of your proposed utility box artwork. Artwork must match the template provided.

​

G. Please upload up to three (3) attachments of your previous artwork, including murals, utility boxes, paintings, digital artworks, etc.

​​

H. Please list websites and/or social media handles you use for your art.

​​

I. How did you hear about this Call for Artists?

​

PROGRAM SPECIFICATIONS

The Program is designed to encourage community pride and beautify neighborhoods. Art to be installed on public utility boxes will be installed in a public place and must be suitable for viewing by all ages.

​

The following guidelines should be followed:​

  • The size of the utility box may vary slightly, therefore the third-party vendor may need to adjust your artwork to the size of the box when installing.

  • The City of Glendale, or its contractors, must have access to the components in the utility box at all times.

  • Some utility boxes may have locks and control panels that will have to remain free of any art image.

  • The vents shall not be covered so as not to restrict airflow from the cabinet. Ventilation keeps the utility box from overheating.

  • The levers/handles/keyholes on the utility boxes shall not be covered in vinyl.

  • Artwork using a majority of dark colors cannot be considered due to the potential for overheating of the utility boxes.

​​

TEMPLATE REQUIREMENTS

Selected artists will need to convert final designs into the following formats:

  • File Format: JPEG or PDF

  • Color Space: CMYK

  • Resolution: 150dpi for raster images

  • Max File Size: 300MB

​

A utility box template is attached heretofore as Exhibit “A”. Artwork submitted must utilize the template provided. Applications submitted without utilizing the template will not be considered.

​

LOCATION INFORMATION

Artists and artist groups may request a specific or series of utility box location(s) on the application but are not guaranteed a specified location.

​

The five (5) selected utility boxes are at the following locations:

  1. Chevy Chase Dr. and Maple St.

  2. Cañada Blvd. and Verdugo Park

  3. Glenoaks Blvd. and Louise St.

  4. Pacific Ave. and Dryden St.

  5. Pacific Ave. and Stocker St.

​

REPAIR & REMOVAL

If an artist’s utility box art work is graffitied, the City will contact the third-party vendor to discuss options for graffiti removal. This may entail replacing the portion of the vinyl wrap that is graffitied. The City cannot be held responsible for damage caused by graffiti removal. The City may remove art from a utility box, at any time, in its sole and absolute discretion, including, but not limited to, for any of the following reasons:

  • The City determines that the artwork falls under any one or more of the reasons listed under “Ineligible Artwork”;

  • The artwork, or any part of it:

    • Endangers public safety or poses a public safety hazard;

    • Possess a demonstrated fault in workmanship;

    • Requires excessive or unreasonable maintenance;

    • Is damaged irreparably (including vandalism or graffiti), or to an extent that restoration is unreasonable or impractical;

  • The utility box owner requests removal; or

  • The utility box is damaged or needs maintenance, repair, modification, or replacement.

​

INELIGIBLE ARTWORK

Artwork is ineligible, for any one or more of the following reasons, if the artwork:

  • Contains:

    • A copyrighted or trademarked image or logo;

    • A brand or business name;

    • A website or social media link; (*)

    • Address or phone number; (*)

  • Is plagiarized, stolen, or copied from another source;

  • Defames or invades the rights of any person, living or dead;

  • Is likely to:

    • Incite or produce an imminent lawless act;

    • Disrupt the orderly operation of the facility exhibiting the art;

  • Is integral to criminal conduct or violates the law;

  • Is not family friendly, suitable for public display, or suitable for viewing by all ages; or

  • May reasonably be construed as:

    • False or fraudulent;

    • Obscene matter, as defined in California Penal Code Section 311 or any successor legislation;

    • Harmful matter for minors as defined in California Penal Code Section 313 or any successor legislation; or

    • Child pornography, as defined in California Penal Code Section 311.1(a) or 311.2(b), or any successor legislation.

​

(*) Inclusion of such information could jeopardize artist payment, could result in the removal of the artist's entire work, and/or the removal of just the offending information, which could, by its nature, jeopardize the artistic integrity of the work.

​

Important: Artwork not adhering to these guidelines will not be considered.

​

SELECTION PROCESS

The ACC anticipates receiving more than 100 submissions. Submissions will be reviewed by a selection committee consisting of Arts and Culture Commissioners and City of Glendale representatives. Once the artwork is selected, the committee will send a notification by email and formal letter and the artist(s) will be assigned the City utility box(es). Selected artists will be notified approximately six weeks after submission deadline.

​

SELECTION CRITERIA

The following criteria will be considered in evaluating all proposals: 

 

  • Artistic Excellence (35%)

Library staff, in consultation with the ACC, will review and make selections based on artist’s originality, skill and/or craftsmanship, and creativity. In addition, the artist’s statement and career experience, and the artist’s interest in activating a public space through art, will be considered.

 

  • Alignment with the “Celebrating Glendale” Theme (25%)

Library staff, in consultation with the ACC, will review and make selections based on the artist’s ability to incorporate the “Celebrating Glendale” theme as inspiration for the proposal.

 

  • Appropriateness (25%)

Library staff, in consultation with the ACC, will review proposals to ensure the artwork is sensitive to social, environmental, historical, and/or relevant contexts, and that the artwork is suitable for all ages. 

​

  • Local Preference (15%)

Preference may be given to local artists, if all other factors are equal. Local artist is defined as an artist whose primary residence, studio or business is located in Glendale.

​

RESERVATION OF RIGHTS

The City may reject a proposal as non-responsive, in its sole and absolute discretion, if the proposal fails to document that the artist meets the above-requirement(s) or if the proposal fails to adhere to the above-guideline(s).

 

The City reserves the right to reject the proposal of any artist who has previously failed to perform properly, or complete on time, contracts of a similar nature, or to reject the proposal of an artist who is not in a position to perform such a contract satisfactorily. The City expressly reserves the right to reject the proposal of any artist who is in default of the payment of taxes, agreements or other monies due to the City of Glendale.

 

This Call for Artists and the proposal evaluation process do not:

  • Obligate the City to accept or select any proposal; or

  • Constitute an agreement by the City that it will actually enter into a contract with any artist.

 

When it best serves the City’s interests, the City may do any one or more of the following:

  • Reject any proposal or all proposals at its sole discretion.

  • Extend the deadline for accepting proposals.

  • Accelerate the pace of the Call for Artists process if only one or a handful of proposals is received.

  • Waive any or all information, defects, irregularities, or informalities in a proposal.

  • Accept amendments to proposals after the submission deadline.

  • Revise, change, or amend the Call for Artists’ evaluation or selection criteria before the submission deadline.

  • Cancel, withdraw, revise, change, amend, or negotiate the terms of this Call for Artists, the proposed Contract, or both.

  • Reissue a Call for Artists.

  • Conduct one or more oral interviews.

  • Visit an artist’s business or facilities.

  • Examine financial records of an artist to the extent necessary to ensure financial stability.

  • Make a partial award.

  • Negotiate with one or more artist(s).

  • Award a Contract to one or more artist(s).

  • Require a best and final offer from one or more artist(s).

  • Provide or perform the services using a City officer or employee, or contract directly— without a Call for Artists or bids — for the services.

​

NOTIFICATION / CONTRACT

Selected finalists will be notified by email.  If the art is approved for exhibition, the artist must sign the Artist’s Agreement, Beyond the Box – Utility Box Art Program, which includes a Consent, License, and Liability Release Agreement (“Agreement”).  

​

The Agreement is attached hereto as Exhibit “B”. Please review the Agreement and submit any questions and/or concerns you may have regarding the Agreement before or at the time you submit your application.

​

Artists submitting an application expressly acknowledge and agree that the artist has read this BEYOND THE BOX – UTILITY BOX ART PROGRAM - CALL FOR ARTISTS, and has read, understands and is able to enter into the Agreement.

​

MARKETING / PUBLICITY

The artwork may be exhibited on the City web site, social media, Glendale government television GTV6, and more regionally with press releases and postings on www.glendaleartsandculture.org. By submitting a proposal, the artist irrevocably grants City, its officers, agents, and employees (“City and its representatives”) the unconditional right and permission to photograph, record (audio, or video, or both), broadcast, distribute, reproduce, copy, sell, exhibit, publish, and use the photographs and recordings of the artwork or performance, in whole or in part, in any medium now or later developed, for any purpose, without charge to the City and without payment to the artist of any compensation, fee, royalty, or damages (now or later).

​

When the City uses the artist’s images or the artwork for promoting arts programming, the City will endeavor to identify the artist and give credit to the artist, whenever possible, but the City will not be liable to the artist for an error in or omission of the artist’s identification or the artist’s credit for the artwork.

​

INSURANCE/LIABILITY

Selected artists are required to comply with the City’s insurance and liability requirements.

 

TENTATIVE TIMELINE 

  • Beyond the Box Application Opens                                                                                                                 June 2, 2025 at 10:00 A.M.

  • Beyond the Box Application Closes                                                                                                                July 25, 2025 at 5:00 P.M.

  • Beyond the Box – Artist Review and Selection Committee                                                                  August 11 – 15, 2025

  • Beyond the Box – Artist Notifications                                                                                                            August 22, 2025

  • Beyond the Box – Paperwork Completion                                                                                                  August 25 – 29, 2025

  • Beyond the Box – Final Design Completed                                                                                                September12, 2025

  • Beyond the Box – Vinyl Wraps Installed                                                                                                      October 17, 2025

​

RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING AND CONTACTS

During the period beginning on the date of the issuance of the Call for Artists and ending on the date of selection of the artist, no person (or entity) submitting a proposal in response to this Call for Artists, nor any officer, employee, representative, agent, or consultant representing such a person (or entity) shall contact through any means or engage in any discussion concerning the award of the Contract with any member of the City Council of the City of Glendale, or the member of any City of Glendale Board or Commission, or the Council or Board members’ staff. Any such contact shall be grounds for the disqualification of the proposal. During the period beginning on the date of the issuance of this Call for Artists and ending on the date of selection of the artist, each person or entity described in the previous paragraph shall limit his or her communication with City staff to the written clarification and amendment process described in this Call for Artists, and during interviews or discussions pursuant to evaluation and selection process described in this Call for Artists. At no time may any artist have any communication with a member of the selection committee, other than communication initiated by such member during interviews or discussions.

​

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Questions about the Beyond the Box - Call for Artists can be submitted by email to: Jennifer Fukutomi-Jones, Principal Arts & Culture Administrator at artsandculture@glendaleca.gov.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • X
  • YouTube

©2025 City of Glendale, CA. All rights reserved.

bottom of page