Northern NJ Community Foundation's ARTSBERGEN Issues Call for Artists for “The Utility ARTBox Project”

The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation's (NNJCF) ArtsBergen has issued a call for artists for Creative Hackensack's "The Utility ARTBox Project" in Hackensack, New Jersey. ArtsBergen, an initiative of the Englewood-based NNJCF, is working with the Hackensack Main Street Alliance's Creative Arts Team (CAT) and the Hackensack Cultural Arts Department to select five artists and/or artist teams to design and paint murals on five utility boxes in the city. Applications are due Monday, April 17, 2017.

The Hackensack CAT is a group of artists, merchants, organizational leaders and public officials collaborating to implement a creative placemaking plan for the City of Hackensack. Creative placemaking integrates arts and culture into a neighborhood, town, or region to build community and livability and boost the local economy. The Utility ARTBox is among several projects the CAT has identified to implement the Creative Vision Statement developed with input from various members and sectors of the community.

Litter Prevention Through Art

The project's five goals are:

• to create public awareness of the negative effects of littering through public art;

• to beautify the community of Hackensack by incorporating public art into ordinary elements of the city such as utility boxes;

• to provide art-based work opportunities for local artists to celebrate their work through public showcases;

• to engage and delight passersby and residents; and

• to endorse arts and culture as a powerful tool to transform, connect, and serve the city of Hackensack.

Funding for the project is provided in part by a Clean Communities Grant, with a primary focus on litter prevention. Each box will serve as a canvas for a painted mural illustrating a clear message of anti-littering, litter prevention, the damages of littering to a community and how anti-littering behavior enhances an area. The incorporation of elements that engage the public is encouraged.

Artists Wanted

NNJCF's ArtsBergen is recruiting the artists, managing the submission process and working with its partners to implement the project. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age to apply and either work or live in New Jersey. A committee will select the artists based on creativity of design, experience, artistic excellence, and how clearly the theme of litter prevention is communicated.

Complete application information may be found online. Selected artists will be notified if their design has been accepted. For further information, contact NNJCF's ArtsBergen at artsbergen@nnjcf.org or 201-568-5608. For further information about the Main Street Business Alliance, visit the organization's web site. Follow Creative Hackensack and the Hackensack Creative Arts Team on Facebook for updates about events and activities.