Community Improvement Initiative

The Community Improvement Initiative Art Box Project

Before picture, and after picture of our first Art Box at Dixie Belle and Gatlin, Orlando, near Barber Park or Semoran and Gatlin

 Who Sponsors the Box?

Entities sponsor Art Boxes. This means the sponsoring entity/organization finds the artist, submit the application to the Orange County St.Art Program administrator, file the permit, arrange for supplies, see the box is primed, covered in art, and given an anti-graffiti coating. The boxes must meet certain criteria established by the local neighborhood where the box is located. For example, in Conway, the art must be concrete, not abstract, realistic, not gaudy, and should preserve the history of the area or emphasize the natural beauty of the area (wildlife, scenery).

What are the roles of Sponsoring Entities, and Artists for Community Improvement Initiative boxes?

Artists may apply using the contact form on this page. Artists who work on boxes sponsored by the Community Improvement Initiative (there are several) work with a volunteer project manager  from the Community Improvement Initiative. The representative of the Community Improvement Initiative is responsible for finding the artist, filing the permit, arranging for supplies, priming the box, and covering it with an anti-graffiti coating after it is covered with art.  The Community Improvement Initiative liaises with local government (such as the Orange County St. Art program administrator), works with the press, and with other organizations, if necessary. The artist is simply responsible for submitting proposed artwork to the representative of the Community Improvement Initiative, and then putting the art on the box after the permit is approved.

What are the Design guidelines?

Here are guidelines from the St.Art program for putting art on boxes. They describe where you can paint.  Each box may have different dimensions, so check the box you are doing after you are accepted as an author for its relative proportions.

 Boxes near Pershing and Semoran can focus on culture and safety.  There are no other guidelines.  Conway boxes should be realistic, not gaudy, and should feature wildlife or the history of the area.

The link below also shows the art box concept for our first box, located at Gatlin and Dixie Belle. It was our first box, so we gave some pictures to show the kind of concept we were looking for. In this case, the desired content was a cow, but that was true only for that art box. Other boxes will have other objects or themes on them.  But artists may get an idea of the kind of art that meets, or does not meet the Conway criteria.   Art boxes in other areas will have their own criteria – check with Brent Ward or an art box project manager for themes and criteria through the contact form on this page.

www.artboxconcepts.weebly.com

What does the Art BoxProject Leader do?

The project leader manages the process of getting one, or more art boxes painted.  This involves helping with finding artists, fielding artwork consistent with local area guidelines, working with painters of the primer coat and anti-graffitti coating, and helping with the application of the artwork to the appropriate government body.   The PDF file below explains the role of the project leader.

How Do I get Involved?

Fill out the contact form on this page and Brent Ward will get back to you with more information.