Stopping traffic

The downtown area is going to look a little brighter this summer, and it won’t just be from the sunshine. \nThe Bloomington Area Arts Council, in partnership with the city of Bloomington, is presenting the “Stop and Start” public art project. The project is currently looking for area artists to decorate six traffic control boxes on College and Walnut avenues. Each box is located in a different Bloomington Entertainment & Arts District, with each district focusing on either dining, art or theater. \n“Public art adds visual richness to an area,” said Miah Michaelsen, assistant economic development director for the arts in Bloomington. “It livens the mundane.” \nAnd the boxes – dull silver cubes on concrete slabs on the side of the road – are none too exciting. \n“Right now, they’re just big ugly traffic control boxes and that’s it.,” said Ed Vande Sande, development and marketing director for the Bloomington Area Arts Council. “There’s very little public art in Bloomington. We thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to hide some of this ugliness and have some public art too?’”\nMichaelsen added that this project will hopefully be an economic benefit through tourism revenue, as each box will highlight unique aspects of the city. \nThe deadline for submissions is April 1. Artists will be chosen by a panel of six judges based on the submission’s originality, visual excitement and relevance to the arts and entertainment district. Artists will be chosen April 15, and boxes should be completed by June 1.\nOriginality is also a key factor in designing these boxes. Minimal guidance has been given to potential artists in the hope that those submitting their work will stretch the limits as far as artistically possible. \n“I want this to be a little bit wild, a little bit funky, a little out there,” Vande Sande said. “Don’t offer too much information and you’ll be surprised at what you get back.” \nProject coordinators also hopes to get IU students involved. \n“They are a big part of Bloomington,” said Pamela Keech, executive director of Bloomington Area Arts Council. “It would be wonderful to have their contributions there.” \nVande Sande agreed. \n“I’ll be grossly disappointed if we don’t get some applications from campus,” he said. \nOrganization members also promises that this project is the first of many aiming to bring more public art to Bloomington. \n“This is one of the first of many projects that will be happening for the BEAD,” Keech said. “A lot of things will be happening to make downtown more snappy.” \nThe boxes will be completed in time for summer festivals like Taste of Bloomington in June and the 100th anniversary of the Monroe County Courthouse in July.\n“I hope they really enjoy it,” Vande Sande said. “That’s what public art is all about.”