The Arts Station is pleased to announce a Call for Entry for 2023 ‘Out of the Box: A Dumpster Art Project’.
Out of the Box is a public art initiative by the Arts Station in collaboration with GFL Environmental. Project facilitation is provided by the Fernie & District Arts Council and a volunteer committee. Out of the Box is a project in which 6 commercial trash and recycling dumpsters will be transformed into works of public art by regional artists. The artists will be selected from a Call to Artists with a deadline of Friday, June 30th, 3pm via the form below. Late submissions are absolutely not accepted.
Each prospective artist will submit their Out of the Box Proposal to a panel of adjudicators who will then select the artists that will be given the opportunity to bring their vibrant visions to life by recreating their proposals on the actual dumpsters. The commercial dumpsters have been generously donated by GFL Disposal and paint donated by Nufloors Fernie.
The Out of the Box competition will take place on dumpsters within the City of Fernie municipal boundaries and once complete the dumpsters will be placed strategically around Victoria Avenue as well as the Highway 3 corridor. Out of the Box is intended as a way for our regional art community to bring beauty and creativity to a seemingly mundane item like a trash dumpster
Important Artist Information
Who May Apply:
Professional artists.
Emerging artists. Mentorship opportunities with an experienced artist are available.
Community groups or collectives of artists. Mentorship opportunities with an experienced artist are available.
- To submit complete application below in full including the following:
- Brief resume or experience of the individual applicant or group if applicable.
- Contact events@theartsstation.com for further information regarding mentorship
- Graphics of your proposed dumpster art (all 4 sides) on a mock dumpster in both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional form.
- Please contact Chelsea at events@theartsstation.com if you require assistance with creating a Photoshop mock-up of your design. Templates are available!
Your application will be reviewed by The Dumpster Jurying Committee. Incomplete applications will not be evaluated.
Provided for artists:
- Artist fee between $500-1250 (based on experience, determined by FDAC, who values fair payment to artists)
- Outdoor paint:
- Paint provided will be black, white, primaries: blue, yellow & red as well as our current stock paint. Please enquire if you would like a full list of colours we already have.
- Supplies such as paint brushes, rollers, drop clothes etc.
- Additional supplies can be provided on request e.g. Spray paint.
- Insurance coverage while the artist is working on their dumpster.
- Promotional and marketing coverage.
- Cleaned waste containers.
- Mentoring opportunities for emerging artists and community groups.
Dumpster Dates:
- Dumpster delivery August 17th, 2023
- Painting Dates: August 18th-22nd 2023
- Dumpster Social: August 23rd, 2023
Dumpster Dimensions:
These measurements are approximate.
- 6yd Recycle Bin 5’9 ft wide x 5.5 ft deep x 4.8 ft tall
- 4yd Waste Bin 5.9 ft wide x 3.5 ft deep x 4 ft tall
When developing your design please keep in mind that recycling decals must remain visible. Please incorporate these into your design. We will assign a waste or recycle, please specify if you have a preference in your application.
General Information:
Public Art is defined as artistic-visual, decorative or functional works selected, commissioned, created or donated for locations in a public space or facility accessible to members of the public, and including works of a permanent or temporary nature located in the public domain. The City of Fernie’s Public Art Policy seeks to grow the Public Art Inventory through the works and best practices that demonstrate:
Professionalism – Individuals engaged in the management and implementation of the Public Art Program shall exhibit the highest degree of dedication and competence in the execution of their assigned duties.
Outreach – The Public Art Program will endeavor to stimulate individual artist creativity at the local and regional level through the provision of educational and public awareness opportunities for learning, participation, and experimentation in arts and culture.
Diversity – Diversity will be incorporated into the public art program including artist and committee member selection, site selection, media, scale and style of artwork, through experimentation with new art forms as well as traditional forms, and through the work of emerging as well as established artists.
Copyright for works of art shall remain with the artist, provided that the artist, or copyright holder, must enter a written agreement for limited usage of the copyright by for non-profit public relations, documentation, educational and promotional purposes, or alternatively, assign the copyright to FDAC. Wherever possible in displaying or using an image or images the name of the artist will be indicated. If your work is selected a waiver must be signed indicating that you agree to the Copyright details.
Lifespan of Work GFL has right of removal for the bins due to damage, fire, excessive wear-and-tear or any other reasons the bins are deemed to be unsafe or unsightly. Bins may be removed and replaced at the discretion of the waste removal company. The anticipated lifespan of the work is intended to be 2+ years although circumstances may dictate a shorter span if necessary.
All FOUR sides of the waste bin MUST be painted. The back and two sides do not have to have a design but they MUST be painted a solid colour and not remain the waste bin colour.
We are looking for works that are vibrant, relative and individual. There is no specified theme for Out of the Box although submissions should be non-violent and family friendly. Please consider your colour choices, we provide black, white and primary colours as well as what we have in our stock. Note we will not be getting specific colours for each artist so please consider when designing. Enquire if you would like a full list of colours we already have.
When designing your piece please keep in mind how the dumpster will look in an urban landscape (i.e. in a parking lot or against grey walls) or from a distance. The dumpsters are not a venue for advertisements so please avoid logos or specific references. Designs are for the four sides only. The top must remain unpainted.
Dumpster Application Form
