BLOOMINGTON – Downtown Bloomington, Inc. (DBI), in partnership with the City of Bloomington, invites individual artists and artist teams to respond to a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to design and paint a traffic box in downtown Bloomington. In an RFQ, applicants are asked to submit examples of their past work and relevant experience—not a full design concept—so a jury can select the right artist for the project before design work begins. The budget for this project includes a $750 artist honorarium and up to $500 in materials and supplies, paid for by Downtown Bloomington, Inc. The deadline to apply is Sept. 13, 2026.
In 2022, the City of Bloomington and Downtown Bloomington, Inc. partnered to implement public art projects and performances throughout downtown Bloomington using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. Funds have supported mural projects, public performances, events, and the repainting of more than 10 traffic boxes throughout downtown. The painting of this traffic box at the intersection of Kirkwood Avenue and Rogers Street is one of the final projects supported by the initiative.
This particular box is part of a larger capital project in which the box will be relocated to another location within the intersection. Once the capital project is complete, the selected artist will be asked to paint the box. Prior public art installation experience is not required.
All applications will be reviewed by a selection panel. If selected, the artist or artist team will develop a traffic box design that visually represents Bloomington’s native flowers, nature, or wildlife. For more details and to submit your application, visit the City of Bloomington’s Arts page.
Please contact Christina Elem, Special Projects Manager, christina.elem@bloomington.in.gov, for more information.
