Update June 6, 2024

The following are questions we have received regarding the Spectacular Vernacular Call for Artist:

Q: Is a project proposal due with the initial submission materials?
A: A rough proposal can be included, but it will most likely be altered given the engagement done with Hayes Elementary.

Q: Are artists able to apply as individuals and as part of a team?
A: There will be a grand total of 2 submissions per individual, if it be as an individual or part of a team (with the caveat that no individual or team can submit twice (2 separate designs).  So yes, you may apply as an individual and as part of a team.

Update May 9, 2024

Spectacular Vernacular 2024 is now accepting applications of interest from artists. The deadline for applications of interest is Friday, June 14, 2024 at 12:00 PM.  Click here to view the RFP and application for details.

Update May 12, 2023

Spectacular Vernacular 2023 is now accepting applications of interest from artists. The deadline for applications of interest is Friday, June 16, 2023 at noon.  Click here to view the RFP and application for details.

This year’s Spectacular Vernacular public art program creates opportunities for collaboration between artists, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority and the City to create art designed for the public on transit waiting areas and bus shelters.

Since 2016, the City has been investing in public-private art projects to increase its value as a place that attracts and retains residents, entrepreneurs, employees, and entertainment offerings. Higher community values like these help attract and retain businesses and residents, while increasing social connections. Based on lessons learned from past projects, the City of Lakewood is happy to release the Request for Proposals for the 2023 Spectacular Vernacular program.

Please see the full application for more details by clicking here.

Update February 8, 2022

Spectacular Vernacular 2022 is now accepting applications of interest from artists and business/property owners. The deadline for applications of interest is March 22^nd at noon. See application for submittal details.

The City of Lakewood’s public art program creates opportunities for collaboration between artists and property/business owners to create art designed for the public on private properties.

Since 2016, the City has been investing in public-private art projects to increase its value as a place that attracts and retains residents, entrepreneurs, employees, and entertainment offerings. Higher community values like these help attract and retain businesses and residents, while increasing social connections. Based on lessons learned from past project, the City of Lakewood is happy to present the Spectacular Vernacular Grant Application for 2022.

Spectacular Vernacular provides funding for civic art projects within the City of Lakewood. The goal of the grant program is to incentivize private investment in public art. The total available grant funding for 2022 is $50,000. The focus for this year’s program are permanent murals, temporary lighting installations that help activate spaces, and any additional public art and media outlets.

Please see the full application for more details by clicking here.

Update: May 11, 2021

Public Art Advisory Board – Now accepting applications

Interested in creating a strategic direction and having a voice in public art in Lakewood? We want to hear from you! The City is excited to release the Public Art Advisory Board (PAAB) application. Application and resume due by 4:00 pm on June 7, 2021.

Click here to read the ordinance creating the Public Art Advisory Board.

Interested art professionals should email their applications to mayorsoffice@lakewoodoh.net.

 

 

RELEASE DATE: March 19, 2021

UPDATE! Deadline Extended to 04/29 at Noon

PROJECT BUDGETS: Up to $5,000 for selected murals and up to $2,500 for selected temporary lighting installations; Total available city funds: $50,000

The City of Lakewood’s public art program creates opportunities to bridge communities through social offerings in shared public spaces.

Since 2016, the City has been investing in public-private art projects to increase its value as a place that attracts and retains residents, entrepreneurs, employees, and entertainment offerings. Based on lessons learned from previous projects, the City is relaunching the Spectacular Vernacular Grant Application for 2021.

Spectacular Vernacular provides funding for civic art projects within the City of Lakewood. The goal of the grant program is to incentivize private investment in public art. The total available grant funding for 2021 is $50,000.The focus for this year’s program are permanent murals and temporary lighting installations that help activate spaces.

Click here for more details and the application.

 

 

CALL FOR ARTISTS –
Lakewood Fire Department Station #2

Given the positive community response to the city’s ongoing public art initiative, the city is thrilled to release this Call for Artists to enhance the upcoming expansion of Fire Station #2 with a sculptural public art element. With 16,000 building structures in Lakewood’s five-square mile area, the Lakewood Fire Department (LFD) has three fire stations – and some of the fastest response times in the state.

This year, Station #2 is undergoing an expansion to construct an apparatus bay and modifications to the existing building to optimize the facility and improve safety conditions. A public art element is to be located along a portion of the east-facing facade on the 30’x88’ addition. The goal of the public art is to celebrate the fire department.  

Project: Sculptural element at Lakewood Fire Station #2

Deadline: March 23, 2021

Budget: $45,000 all inclusive; for design, installation, and honorariums for finalists

Click here for the Call for Artists.

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CALL FOR ARTISTS – Detroit-Sloane Corridor

The City of Lakewood’s public art program creates opportunities to bridge communities through social offerings in shared public spaces.

Since 2016, the city has been investing in public-private art projects to increase its value as a place that attracts and retains residents, entrepreneurs, employees, and entertainment offerings. Given the positive community response to the city’s ongoing public art initiative, the city is thrilled to release this Call for Artists for multiple permanent public art projects as part of the Detroit-Sloane Pedestrian Safety Improvements project.

DEADLINE: February 1, 2021

BUDGET: $95,000 all inclusive; for design, installation, and honorariums for finalists

Click here for the Call for Artists.

 

2020 SPECTACULAR VERNACULAR APPLICATION

The City of Lakewood’s public art program creates opportunities to bridge communities through social offerings in shared public spaces.

Since 2016, the City has been investing in public-private art projects to increase its value as a place that attracts and retains residents, entrepreneurs, employees, and entertainment offerings. Based on lessons learned from small pilot projects, the City is now relaunching the Spectacular Vernacular application for 2020.

Spectacular Vernacular is a city-wide public arts initiative created to provide funding for civic art and urban design projects within the city of Lakewood. The goal of the program is to incentivize community-driven art and design projects.

Deadline for Proposals: August 10, 2020
Budget: Up to $5,000 for selected permanent projects; up to $2,500 for temporary installations

Click here for the application.

 

 

2019 SPECTACULAR VERNACULAR UPDATE

Coming Soon! The city is excited to share select images from the 2019 Spectacular Vernacular Grant awardees’ design proposals. Installation is anticipated to start the summer of 2020 with all proposals finished by the end of the year.

Artist: Evan Laisure
Partner: City of Lakewood
Location: Lakewood Park Bike Rack

 

 

Artist: Jordan Wong
Partner: CoLab
Location: 17006-17008 Madison Ave

 

 

Artist: Nosotros Rock Climbing Gym
Partner: Multiple community stakeholders
Location: Temporary installation, varies

 

Artist: Lauren Herzak-Bauman
Partner: City of Lakewood
Location: Temporary sculptural installation at St Charles Green

 

Artist: Roni Callahan
Partner: Department of Human Services
Location: Semi-permanent installation at 16024 Madison Ave

 

Artist: Lakewood Garden Club
Partner: City of Lakewood
Location: Temporary floral installation, pending COVID-19

 

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Call for Artists – Transit Waiting Shelter Mural

The City of Lakewood OH, in partnership with Beck Center for the Arts, was awarded Cuyahoga County’s Community Development Supplemental Grant. The grant money will fund streetscape elements and pocket park improvements along the Detroit corridor at Beck Center. The project highlights the importance of public-private partnerships as well as the city’s ongoing investment in the arts, culture, and creative economy within Lakewood.

The City is excited to release this Call for Artists for an artistic transit shelter wrap at the RTA stop adjacent to the pocket park improvements at Beck Center.

Click here for more information.

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Arts Related Resources During COVID-19

To support the arts during COVID-19, please find below a shared list of informational resources for artists, art professionals, philanthropists, and art lovers.

CLEVELAND RESOURCES

Creative Compass  COVID-19 Resources

Creative Compass is a service of Arts Cleveland, focusing efforts on gathering resources to help our creative sector, working with partners and funders to facilitate information gathering and sharing, and continuing to educate and advocate on behalf of our creative industries.

CLEVELAND OPPORTUNITIES

https://spacesgallery.submittable.com/submit

The Satellite Fund: Emergency Relief Grant

Applications will be accepted through April 24th, 2020 with release of funding soon thereafter.

2020 Urgent Art Fund

Applications for the Urgent Art Fund will be accepted on a rolling basis until all 5 project support grants in 2020 have been awarded. Ends December 21, 2020.

NATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Actors Fund Entertainment Assistance Program

The Actors Fund provides services and financial support to entertainment professionals facing personal or work-related problems. It is also a conduit for emergency financial assistance in times of pressing need or in response to catastrophic events.

Artist Relief Project

Artists in any discipline who has been impacted by COVID19-related cancellations and closures may apply for assistance from this relief fund.

Authors League Fund

The Author League Fund helps professional writers in financial need because of medical or health-related problems, temporary loss of income, or other misfortune by providing no-strings-attached “loans” to pay for pressing expenses.

The Blues Foundation HART Fund

The Blues Foundation Handy Artists Relief Trust Fund is available to Blues musicians and their families who are in financial need due to a broad range of health concerns.

Carnegie Fund for Authors

The Carnegie Fund for Authors awards grants to published authors who are in need of emergency financial assistance as a result of illness or injury to self, spouse, or dependent child, or who has had some other misfortune that has placed the applicant in pressing and substantial pecuniary need.

CERF+ Artist Safety Net

Artists who have suffered from a recent, career threatening emergency, such as an illness, accident, fire or natural disaster, can apply for funding. CERF+ also has a list of resources centered around the pandemic.

Dramatists Guild Foundation

DGF provides emergency financial assistance to individual playwrights, composers, lyricists, and bookwriters in dire need of funds due to severe hardship or unexpected illness.

Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant

Do you have an unanticipated opportunity to present your work? Did you incur an unexpected expense that you didn’t budget for? The Foundation for Contemporary Arts offers Emergency Grants between $200 and $2,500 for visual and performing artists. They review applications once a month, so you can quickly take advantage of momentum or solve any budget errors.

Gottlieb Emergency Grant

The Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant program is intended to provide interim financial assistance to qualified painters, printmakers, and sculptors whose needs are the result of an unforeseen, catastrophic incident, and who lack the resources to meet that situation. Each grant is given as one-time assistance for a specific emergency, examples of which are fire, flood, or emergency medical need.

Jazz Foundation Musicians Emergency Fund

Musicians who have made a living playing blues, jazz, and roots music can apply for emergency funding from the Jazz Foundation.

Musicians Foundation

The Musicians Foundation provides grants to U.S. musicians in any genre in a time of acute need due to personal, medical, dental, or family crisis, natural disaster, or other emergency situation.

PEN American Writers’ Emergency Fund

The PEN America Writers’ Emergency Fund is a small grants program for professional—published or produced—writers in acute or unexpected financial crisis. Depending on the situation and level of need, grants are in the range of $2,000.

The Photographer Fund

Format has put together a $25,000 relief fund designed to help photographers facing financial difficulties during the outbreak. The fund offers $500 per person.

Queer Writers of Color Relief Fund

This fund is for queer writers of color who are in need of financial assistance. The fund will make disbursements once per day.

Sweet Relief Musicians Fund

This relief fund provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians and music industry workers who are struggling to make ends meet because of COVID-19.

Art Interrupted Emergency Arts Fund

Twenty Summer has launched an emergency fund for artists and arts organizations suffering from unexpected and unmanageable financial loss as a result of the COVID-19. Artists can receive up to $500, while arts organizations can receive up to $1,000.

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Call for Artists – Wagar Park Street Mural

The City of Lakewood is excited to announce a Call for Artists for the Wagar Park Street Mural. This is the first step of a two-step process to select the best and most qualified public artist(s) for the project.

Deadline: May 11, 2020; 4:00 pm

Budget: $30,750; all inclusive, for design, fabrication/installation, and honorarium for finalists

Click here for the details.

 

Spectacular Vernacular

Spectacular Vernacular is a city-wide public arts initiative created to provide funding for civic art and urban design projects within the city of Lakewood. The goal of the program is to incentivize community-driven art and design projects.

Deadline for Proposals: April 9, 2020
Budget: Up to $5,000 for selected projects

 

Wagar Park Update – March 11, 2020

We are proud to announce the City of Lakewood’s resident-led selection panel identified the team of MKSK as the best and most qualified artist for the social seating arrangement at Wagar Park. MKSK was chosen through a two-part process based on criteria established by the public selection panel, input from students at Harding Middle School, and recommendations by Public Works.

MKSK’s conceptual proposal can be found here.

Wagar Park

The City of Lakewood is excited to launch the Art in the Parks Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Wagar Park.  This is the first step of a two-step process to select the best and most qualified public artist(s) for a social seating arrangement at Wagar Park.

RFQ Deadline: July 31, 2019
Budget: $50,000; all inclusive, for design, fabrication, and honorarium for finalists

Wagar Park RFQ

 

2018 LAMP

The goal of the Lakewood Art Mural Program (LAMP) is to energize private investment in quality public art in the form of murals that will enhance our commercial corridors and create a sense of place.

 

Rosewood Avenue Mural Project

In 2017, the City of Lakewood completed their first large-scale public art installation to pilot the closure of Rosewood Avenue for future Wagar Park expansion.  A timelapse of the process documents the work completed by the winning artist and Lakewood business, Studio Chartreuse.

 

Ice Cream Social celebrating the completion of the Street Mural. Photos by Bridget Caswell.

 

Custom Bike Racks & Bus Stops

Existing infrastructure can also be seen as an opportunity for public art.  Custom bike racks have been installed around the city to add interest to our parks and transit waiting environments.  RTA has worked with the city to install custom artwork on the bus shelters.

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

Custom bike racks at Madison Park and outside Lakewood City Hall.

Detroit/Warren Transit Waiting Environment Designed by Sheila Weil & Joseph DeLuca.