Creative Routes: Call for Visual Proposals

Reimagining Bike Sharrow Icons on Campus

Purpose

Enliven campus commutes while increasing student involvement, beautifying campus, and strengthening students’ work beyond their majors.

The Project

The Boise State Department of Public Safety is calling for design entries for Creative Routes, a program that seeks to join sustainable transportation with student art. The final project will see the installation of 2, student-designed bike sharrows on Michigan Avenue. Symbols will be displayed on this road for up to 10 years. Final stencils will each be a 48” x 132” (4’x11’) rectangle. Each will be printed in thermoplastic by DecoMark and installed by the Department of Public Safety in cooperation with the artist. Entries may be submitted by all current students using their Boise State email address. News Article for reference.

Objective

Redesign the standard bike sharrow symbol, see example. The final design may add, amend, exaggerate, whimsify the original design, but the original intent must remain legible, i.e. cyclists and motorists have equal rights on the roadway. The final design must be the original design of the artist.

To be eligible for consideration, please submit your emailed entry with “Creative Routes Artwork” in the subject line to fondaportales@boisestate.edu. Entry should include:

1. A statement of your interest in the project, your current relationship to Boise State, and a description of your experience completing projects (even if not in public art) successfully.
2. One to three design proposals as image files at least 300dpi/ppi (pixels per inch).

• Proposals can be sketched or digital drawings that include dimensions and colors used. Attached file must be named in the following format: LastName_FirstName_Title.
• Design can use up to 5 colors that are available to the printing company. Please see Appendix. Only solid colors can be printed. Blending techniques and gradient shading cannot be printed.
• Work must adhere to the core values of Boise State University and provide content that can be viewed by all age groups.

Awarded Applicants will be expected to

1. Provide a final vector of completed design in .PDF, .JPG, .TIF, CAD files (.DWG or .DXF), or .AI file types. Assistance may be available if you do not have experience.
2. Adhere to all deadlines of the project.
3. Follow product guidelines and tolerances listed by DecoMark. Please see Appendix.
4. Sign an Artist Release permitting the University to display their redesign with full copyright.

Awards

In addition to the artwork being placed on the roadway, artists will each be awarded a $500 scholarship for Spring 2024. Award funds will be available in the form of a scholarship in the student’s financial aid account.

If you have further questions, please contact Gabe Finkelstein, Assistant Director of Transportation, at GabeFinkelstein@boisestate.edu or Fonda Portales, University Art Curator and Collections Manager, at fondaportales@boisestate.edu.

Example

Table of Dates

Appendix

Creative Routes: Call for Visual Proposals

Design may include up to 5 colors. Custom colors are not available in DecoMark. Gradient shading design coloration is not possible in DecoMark preformed thermoplastic material.

DECOMARK’S FINAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Details needed to quote pricing for a custom item:

1. Design: (Emailed drawing file, image, sketch, etc.) The image should be of high resolution and print quality, so that it can be evaluated properly.
2. Vector design files using solid colors are ideal when available. We can accept
   
   CAD files (.DWG or .DXF), .PDF, .JPG, .TIF and .AI file types.
3. Description/Notes: (Only if any deviations from image submitted)
4. Dimensions: (Very Important)
5. Colors: (If not clear on the image submitted)

DECOMARK’S CAVEAT OF POSSIBLE ALTERATIONS – Design and Colors

1. When replicating a customer’s marking design, we will make every effort to replicate it as closely as possible; however, modifications may be necessary.
2. Every line, detail or space within the marking should have a minimum stroke width of 1/2” (12.7mm) wide or wider, but must be at least 3/8” (9.5mm) wide in order for us to manufacture, cut and assemble them into a complete DecoMark marking. Note that these tolerances are for narrow areas of larger material pieces that make up a marking.
3. Depending on the marking’s design and complexity, we reserve the right to require wider tolerances where necessary to manufacture certain markings.
4. Unless very large, design elements with sharp points will likely have the tip of the sharp point(s) rounded to prevent breakage during manufacturing and assembly.
5. DecoMark is not a printed media that can simply be printed to a durable “sticker” and applied.

Learn more about Bicycles on Campus.