Call For Artists: Creative Crosswalk Designs, City of Bellevue Arts Program

Deadline: April 21, 2025, midnight PDT

Budget: $10,000 for design and outreach

Opportunity: The City of Bellevue is seeking an artist or artist team to design crosswalk pavement treatments in Bellevue, WA, in collaboration with City staff and community members. This opportunity is open to artists living in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties in Washington State. The selected artist or artist team will create designs for four pre-selected sites, one crosswalk at each site, to be studied as part of a larger project evaluating asphalt art and its impacts on safety and other factors. The artist will be required to transfer the copyright to the city, which will then manage production and installation. Please note that this is a request for qualifications. Artists will be evaluated based on their prior work and are asked not to create new artwork proposals in response to this call. 

About the Call: In December 2023, the City of Bellevue was selected for a grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) to complete the Bellevue Safe Access for Everyone (B-SAFE).  One of the activities funded through the grants is this project that will evaluate asphalt art at four treatment crosswalks. The asphalt art will be applied in the space between the existing transverse, parallel crosswalk lines at the four pre-selected crosswalk locations.  Learn more about the project here.

While the intent of the asphalt art is purely aesthetic, the project will evaluate the treatment performance compared to twelve control/no-treatment crosswalks. Performance measures will include, but are not limited to, safety, maintenance and community sentiments.  Furthermore, the project will assess the public acceptance of the pilots and contribute to the development of a guide for future implementation of asphalt art.

Eligibility: This call is open to all active visual artists living in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties in Washington State. Artists will be required to deliver final designs that work within specific parameters determined by material and contractor limitations. This includes but is not limited to working in a vector format, following complexity and design guidelines and potentially modifying final colors to match material options. The city will require a transfer of copyright of the final designs.

Project Timeline (Please note that dates are tentative and subject to change)

Application Requirements

• Artist Application: Complete all required fields in the online application, including your primary location and the items below.
• Artist Bio: Summarize your background as well as artistic influences, training and significant achievements.
• Example Artwork: Submit up to five (5) images of example work. This call is a request for qualifications, so please do not submit proposals.
• Resume (optional)

How to Apply: Complete the online application by midnight on April 21, 2025. Applications are collected through SurveyMonkey Apply unless other arrangements are made by April 14.

Election Criteria and Process: Artists must meet eligibility requirements and submit complete applications. Artists will be selected based on the following criteria: application materials, artistic merit, experience with mural or large-scale flat work, and compelling examples of artwork relevant to this project. A panel of Arts Commissioners, community members and arts professionals will select artists based on the selection criteria. The City of Bellevue reserves the right not to select any applicants.

General Design Guidelines

• The artist or artist team must supply an original artwork that can be digitally reproduced in vector format.
• The artist or artist team must own all rights to images and content used in the design.
• The designs for each crosswalk may follow a theme or style, however, they will be required to be distinct and not replicated at each location.
• The artwork must be suitable for display in public spaces and viewed by a general audience, containing no text (including words, quotes, or letters), advertising, branding, or graphic depictions of violence or sexually explicit material (including nudity).  
• The artwork must not contain any representations of traffic lights, signs, or signals, and should not aim to confuse or endanger drivers and pedestrians.
• The average lifespan of asphalt art varies, and due to the nature of this project, the outcomes of the study could limit or extend the lifespan of the artwork. Once installed, the city will have the right to maintain and remove the artwork as needed.

Contact Us: For questions regarding the call, please contact Manette Stamm at (425) 452-4064, mstamm@bellevuewa.gov

For alternate formats, interpreters, or reasonable modification requests please phone at least 48 hours in advance 425-452-4064 (voice) or mstamm@bellevuewa.gov.  For complaints regarding modifications, contact the City of Bellevue ADA, Title VI, and Equal Opportunity Officer at ADATitleVI@bellevuewa.gov.

Download the full call language here: https://bellevuewa.gov/sites/default/files/media/pdf_document/2025/call-for-artists-creative-crosswalk-designs-2025_final.pdf