Artist Call – Traffic Cabinet Wraps

Opportunity Overview

The City of Brantford is seeking five artists to create original art for traffic cabinet wraps in the City. This call is open to all artists in Ontario; however, preference may be given to regional artists (City of Brantford, County of Brant, Six Nations of the Grand River, or Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation) based on application numbers, artist skill, and ability to meet the call requirements. Art installation, which will be done by the City, is scheduled for Summer 2025.

Eligible artists are invited to submit expressions of interest and qualifications to this call.

The commissioned artists will be selected through an open, one-stage process. Each selected artist will receive $1,000 CAD (exclusive of HST) which includes all costs directly associated with the artwork: artist fees, design time, materials, and other professional services. Artwork can be created in any medium but, if selected, must be provided as high-resolution digital files suitable for large-format printing.

The successful artists will need to be available for any interviews and/or photography during production/installation or after the traffic cabinet wraps are installed. Compensation for the interview and photos are factored into the artist call.

Community and Project Background

Located in Southwestern Ontario, the City of Brantford is home to over 104,000 residents and is surrounded by the County of Brant and Six Nations of the Grand River.

The City of Brantford already has an existing program in place to wrap traffic cabinets. This new program will expand on this and help showcase talented local artists while beautifying our community. The artwork commissioned for this program is considered temporary with a maximum lifespan of 10 years. Traffic cabinets should be vibrant, positive works that showcase the power of art and culture in our communities.

The artwork commissioned for this program should:

  • Be adaptable to different locations; artwork will be installed at various City intersections.
  • Be original designs only; no existing copyrights infringement.
  • Be Public-friendly, non-commercial, and not resemble traffic signals/signs.
  • Avoid large solid or blank areas; designs should deter graffiti.

Other specifications:

  • The proposed artwork can be created in any medium (digital illustration, painting, drawing, photography, etc.), as long as the image can be digitally formatted to the appropriate size and file specifications and is submitted on Appendix A.
  • The art design template aligned with the cabinet dimensions allows for minor flexibility in wrapping margins.
  • The City will coordinate the professional installation of wrapping cabinets with a layer of thin adhesive vinyl, printed with each selected design, cut to shape, applied to the metal cabinet, and coated with a clear protective layer to reduce sun fading and facilitate graffiti removal. The installer will cut and fold in and around the door, handle, and vents.
  • You may sign your name on the cabinet in the bottom right corner (in an area no larger than 6” x 4”)

Tips for a successful Traffic Cabinet Wrap design:

  • Animate urban streetscapes positively with visually impactful art.
  • Wrap imagery around all four sides/faces of the traffic cabinet in one continuous conceptual flow.
  • Are clearly visible and understandable when viewing two sides of the traffic cabinet at once.
  • Ensure designs are visible from sidewalks and roads from more than 20 feet for pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
  • Align imagery with the operational requirements of vents, door hinges, and handles in mind.
  • Depict imagery appropriate for all viewers, respecting that traffic cabinets are in the public realm.

Things that you should avoid in Traffic Cabinet Wrap Design:

  • Depictions of traffic lights, signals, or signs.
  • Logos, branding, or advertisement for any business, product, service, or viewpoint.
  • Large, solid or light colour compositional areas to help deter potential tagging.
  • Locating key design elements on edges, vents, handles, or protrusions.
  • Fine detail and small text to avoid distraction by viewers who are driving.
  • Offensive or insensitive content.

Artwork location

The traffic cabinet wraps will be located within the boundaries of the City of Brantford. Traffic services will be responsible for location selection and installation. Artist designs can be installed up to five locations around the City for a total of five years before they are retired, meaning no longer printed but not removed if in good condition. Please see detailed attached design Appendix A for traffic cabinet dimensions. Please see the below image for examples of existing wraps. (Figure 2. Traffic Cabinet examples).

Figure 1: Examples of past Traffic Cabinet Wraps Figure 1: Examples of past Traffic Cabinet Wraps

Figure 1: Examples of past Traffic Cabinet Wraps

Figure 2: Examples of existing traffic cabinet wraps in the City of Brantford
Figure 2: Examples of existing traffic cabinet wraps in the City of Brantford

Project Timeline:

The project will run between April 29 – May 30, 2025.

Award:

$1,000.00 (excluding HST) will be awarded for each artwork selected.

Payment will be issued to successful artists once the final digital files are provided at an acceptable resolution for large-format printing and an agreement is signed allowing for its reproduction and use of up to five times by the City.

Digital Requirements:

  • Concept representations should be in JPG/JPEG/PDF format.
  • Final submissions, if selected, should be at a resolution of 300 dpi, scaled to 50% of the actual traffic cabinet size.
  • Please see Appendix A for Digital Requirements.

Selection Process and Eligibility:

  • This Call to Artists is open to all professional Ontario-based artists who are eligible to work in Canada and to artists of any experience level (emerging, mid-career and established).
  • All applying artists are required to submit a form through City of Brantford’s website (details below).
  • Must be a new and original design.
  • Artists must be at least 18 years of age on the date their proposal is submitted.
  • Artist teams are welcome to apply but must share the total project award.
  • Per the Canada Council’s guidelines, a professional artist is defined as someone who:
    • has specialized artistic training (not necessarily in academic institutions);
    • is critically recognized as a professional by their peers (artists working in the same artistic tradition);
    • is active in and committed to their art practice;
    • has a history of public exhibitions; and/or has produced an independent body of work.

Artist applications will be reviewed on the basis of artistic excellence, expressed written interest in the project and other professional qualification criteria listed below. The evaluation process is a subjective process and all applications will be judged against this and the themes and criteria.

Application Requirements:

Professional artists/artist teams are invited to respond to this Artist Call by completing the submission form and submitting a single PDF document. This PDF document should be labelled with the name of the artist and project (Name_Brantford_Traffic_Wrap).

In the application form, artists will be asked to provide the following information through the City’s web form: artist/collective name, contact information, website (if applicable), and social media accounts (if applicable). If applying as a team, please list team members and submit required credentials for each.

In the application form, artists will be asked to include the following information as a single .pdf document:

  • Artist Concept Statement: A short written explanation of the proposed or suitable for public presentation (350 words maximum) submitted in a PDF format, including:
    • The name/title of the proposed artwork.
    • A description of the artwork concept including the Artist’s unique and original perspective.
    • A description of the Arist’s approach to the goals and themes of the project.
  • Image of Proposed Artwork:
    • Download Appendix A
    • Use Appendix A to create a template for you or sketch of the proposed work in full colour on layout as provided by the City. 
  • Artist Bio and Portfolio: A short artist bio (200 words maximum) and up to ten (10) (minimum 5) examples of past work. With corresponding legend that identifies title, date, medium, location and commissioning agent (if applicable).

Estimated Project Timeline

  • April 29, 2025: Artist Call is issued
  • May 30, 2025: Artist Call closes
  • May-June 2025: Selected Artists contacted.
  • June-July 2025: Digital files confirmed, and contracts signed.
  • July-September 2025: Artwork installed

All selected artists/artist teams are required to complete the project components within the above timeline.

How to Apply:

Submissions must be received by Friday, May 30, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. EST.

Incomplete and/or late applications will not be accepted.

Applications must be submitted via City of Brantford’s website. Emailed, faxed or mailed applications will not be accepted. It is your responsibility to ensure the application package is complete and submitted by the posted deadline.

Questions and requests for clarification will be received by email until Friday, May 16, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. EST. If you have any questions, please email culture@brantford.ca.

Reserved Rights and Privileges of the City

The City of Brantford reserves the right to not award the commission to any Artist and to cancel or re-issue the call at any time.

Apply to Artist Call