Our Town Belfast applied for and was awarded a $5,000 Maine Community Foundation, Maine Expansion Arts Fund grant. The grant will be used to add artwork to the city’s downtown crosswalks, increasing visibility and safety while creating visual interest.
The project was inspired by previous related projects downtown. For many years the crosswalk from the Colonial Theatre to City hall has been painted with “movie stars”. In 2017 the Pedestrian, Biking and Hiking Committee (PBHC) installed painting of chicken feet in the two crosswalks from Main Street to Washington St.
Each crosswalk was selected based on the visibility and proximity to The Park on Main St. The Park on Main Street has been a project of the Our Town Belfast design committee with the goal of creating a space for community interaction in the heart of our downtown. In addition adding artwork to these existing crosswalks will allow the promotion of these artists and their artworks by capitalizing on the existing traffic via car, bike, and on foot.
We are seeking proposals from local artists to create and install designs in one of five downtown crosswalks. Selected artists will receive a $600 stipend for the design and installation. Our Town Belfast will provide all materials and volunteer assistance with the installation.
Proposals will be evaluated by a committee utilizing the following guidelines.
(Once the selection committee makes its decisions, each project will be reviewed by the City of Belfast Public Works Director, Chief of Police, and City Council.)
Color Options: Must include glow in the dark color: