ArtsWestchester Requests Artist Proposals for White Plains Street Art

The collaborative public art project is supported by City of White Plains, White Plains BID and Kite Realty Group.

ArtsWestchester today announced a public art opportunity in the City of White Plains for Hudson Valley artists. ArtsWestchester, in partnership with the City of White Plains, White Plains Business Improvement District (BID) and Kite Realty Group, is seeking an artist/designer or artist team to design and install graphics for a street painting for the “Arts Avenue” drop-off/pick-up lane between ArtsWestchester and the City Center on Mamaroneck Avenue, inclusive of the vacant street space on Martine Avenue, between the crosswalk and handicap parking space.

Janet T. Langsam, CEO of ArtsWestchester explains, “This year marks the 20^th anniversary of ArtsWestchester’s purchase of the landmark Peoples Bank & Trust Building on Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains, NY. To celebrate this anniversary and the transformation of the former bank building into a multi-use arts incubator, we are commissioning a public art project that will help identify our historic building as a center of creative activity in the City of White Plains.”

White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach says, “Public art enlivens public spaces. We know this street art will bring color and excitement to downtown White Plains, enhancing our streetscape and the vibrancy of our main downtown thoroughfare. We are pleased to partner with ArtsWestchester on this project.”

The Request for Proposals asks artists to consider the following goals: improve the pedestrian experience, build visibility of ArtsWestchester’s headquarters at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue, and help celebrate the 20^th anniversary of ArtsWestchester’s residence in its historic building. Artists are encouraged to submit designs for the project that are distinctive, that consider the character and historic significance of the building, as well as the City’s street life, and that will comply with traffic and safety regulations.

SITE DESCRIPTION:

The Mamaroneck Avenue drop-off/pick-up lane is the “Welcome Mat” to ArtsWestchester and the City Center (home to shops, restaurants, the White Plains Performing Arts Center and Cinema de Lux.) The approximately 1,694 square foot space available for artwork includes the vacant street space on Martine Avenue, between the pedestrian crosswalk and handicap parking space (highlighted in the diagram in yellow). No work shall be performed in any of the traffic lanes on Mamaroneck Ave.

Eligible applicants must be at least 18 years old, and must live or maintain a studio address in the lower Hudson Valley region of New York, including NYC (all 5 boroughs), Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, Ulster, and Sullivan Counties. Selected artists must be registered to do business in New York State.

Honorarium: $15,000 -$20,000

Interested artists can access the full Request for Proposals here: https://artswestchester.org/artist-opportunities/mamaroneck-ave-street-art-request-for-proposals/

The deadline for proposals is: Friday, March 9, 2018, 11:59PM, EST.

About ArtsWestchester

For more than 50 years, ArtsWestchester has been the community’s connection to the arts. Founded in 1965, it is the largest, private, not-for-profit arts council in New York State. Its mission is to provide leadership, vision, and support, to ensure the availability, accessibility, and diversity of the arts. ArtsWestchester provides programs and services that enrich the lives of everyone in Westchester County. ArtsWestchester helps fund concerts, exhibitions and plays through grants; brings artists into schools and community centers; advocates for the arts; and builds audiences through diverse marketing initiatives. In 1998, ArtsWestchester purchased the nine-story neo-classical bank building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue which has since been transformed into a multi-use resource for artists, cultural organizations, and the community. A two-story gallery is located on the first floor of ArtsWestchester’s historic building on Mamaroneck Avenue.