2027 Traffic Box Art

Application Opens: September 1, 2026
Application Closes: October 15, 2026  |  1 p.m. MT
Info Session: September 17, 2026, 1:00-1:30 p.m. (MT)
Contact: Lianna Hamby, email for questions or clarifications by Wednesday, October 8, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. (MT) | lhamby@cityofboise.org

Call for Artists: 2027 Traffic Box Art

The City of Boise Department of Arts & History invites artists to apply to create artwork for the 2027 Traffic Box Art program. Selected artists will be paid $1,200 to create new, original artwork of any medium to be digitized and fabricated into a vinyl wrap.

Artists will be selected by an independent selection panel who may select up to eight (8) artists or artist teams for this opportunity. Selection panelists may give preference to artists that are not currently represented in the Traffic Box Art Collection. This opportunity is open to Idaho artists only. All ages are welcome to apply.

The City of Boise invites artists to respond to the theme: Surprise!

Panelists will be looking for mediums, styles, content, and ideas that are surprising, unexpected, unusual, unlike anything they’ve seen before.

Started in 2010, the Traffic Box Art program annually adds beauty and interest to otherwise utilitarian infrastructure throughout the city. This year, eight (8) traffic boxes have been selected for wrapping. Vinyl traffic box wraps typically last 5-7 years before being eligible for re-wrapping with new artwork. 

Selected artists will be assigned locations by staff and receive exact templates and measurements of their assigned traffic box to guide their design. Traffic boxes vary in size, and some assignments may include two boxes on one base.

Artists will not be responsible for fabrication or installation of the art, but will collaborate with a fabricator to ensure proper formatting and installation.

• Call to Artists Released: September 1, 2026
• Application Info-Session (recording will be posted online): September 17, 2026, 1:00 – 1:30 p.m. (MT)  - Register for Info Session on Zoom
• Questions & Clarifications Due via Email: October 8, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. (MT)  
• Application Deadline: October 15, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. (MT) 
• Artist Selected: November 2026
• Artist Cohort Orientation: December 2026
• Artists' Preview Due for Approval: January 2027
• Artists' Final Design Due for Approval: February 2027
• Artists Deliver Digital Files to Fabricator: March 2027
  
• Fabrication and Installation: Summer 2027

Access the application here: Call for Artists: 2027 Traffic Box Art

Applications are hosted on “Submittable” which allows free submission and uniform review. Incomplete or ineligible applications will not be considered. Limit ONE submission per artist or artist team.

If preferred for accessibility reasons, applicants are invited to submit answers to the following questions in video format using ASL or any non-English language. These will be interpreted and transcribed for the selection panel. The online application form requires the following information:

1. Initial Application Questions 
   Complete the online initial application questions. If applying as a team, include information for all team members.
2. Statement of Interest (250 words or less)  
   Introduce yourself! Describe your interest in the project and your relevant experience. Consider this your argument for why you’re a good fit for this project.
3. Concept Description (250 words or less)
   Describe your proposed medium and explain how your traffic box idea relates to the theme: Surprise!
4. Past Work Examples 
   Provide images of three past work examples that show off your visual style and demonstrate your ability to meet the defined project opportunity. Past work examples must be illustrative of the proposed medium. These are completed past artworks, not artwork proposals.
5. Artist Resume
   Upload a current artist resume and include any relevant websites or social media accounts.
6. AI Disclosure 
   Applicants must disclose any use of AI in the creation of artwork and/or application. If AI was used, please describe the nature, extent, and specific use. The use of AI will not disqualify applicants and will be shared with the selection panel.
7. Optional: Demographic Information
   Please describe how you identify (this can include race, gender, cultural background, sexuality, ethnicity, disability, etc.) and how this may or may not pertain to your proposed concept.

Artists will be selected by an independent selection panel that may consist of community members, an Arts & History commissioner, project experts, and artists. Panelists will score applications on the following criteria:

1. Artist fit and interest (up to 20 points)
2. Quality of proposed concept (up to 30 points)
3. Aesthetic quality (up to 30 points)
4. Evidence of ability to follow through (up to 20 points)

The City of Boise is proud to be a welcoming community striving to ensure a safe, equitable, and inclusive city that celebrates the diversity of people who live, work, and play in our community and recognizes the fundamental human dignity of all.

The City of Boise is committed to ensuring equal access to all public meetings, programs, and services. Reasonable accommodations and effective communication—such as ASL interpretation, materials in alternative formats and language access—are available at no cost to facilitate participation. To request an accommodation, please contact us at CommunityEngagement@cityofboise.org or call (208) 972-8500, TTY: 711.