Calling all Artists & Creative Types

Laramie Main Street needs help designing attractive, user-friendly bike racks for downtown. $500 cash prize!

 

The Why:

Bike use in downtown Laramie has been a common activity for over two decades. However, in the past few years the use and activity has significantly increased due to rising fuel costs, increased interest in biking for fitness and more people shopping, working and living downtown.

 Laramie Main Street’s Downtown Development Plan recommends, “Continue to expand the bicycle network within Laramie, with particular emphasis on creating stronger links to downtown.”

With this in mind, the Laramie Main Street Alliance is committed to providing downtown with an additional supply of attractive, user-friendly bike parking facilities to maintain an aesthetic, pleasant and safe downtown environment.

The Design

The artist will take into consideration the following design requirements when developing his/her proposal for new bike racks in downtown Laramie:

§  Consideration of the Laramie Main Street Alliance’s Branding Style Guide (available at www.laramiemainstreet.org or by email request to dowtnownlaramie@gmail.com)

§  Complementary of Laramie’s cultural assets or downtown history i.e. railroad, cowboy, architecture (1890s-1920s), college town, equality, etc.

§  Total footprint including bike rack and bikes attached that ranges between 66” and 110” long and 30” wide for sidewalk locations

§  Total footprint including bike rack with bikes attached ranges between 144” and 150” long and no more than 72” wide for off-curb or parking lot locations

§  Easy to maintain and repair (including snow removal from around base)

§  Basic framework is of 1 1/2” steel pipe or equivalent

§  Safe when located within a congested pedestrian and/or bike use area (no sharp edges or things that stick out in travel ways)

§  As racks will be placed outdoors, design and materials must be able to withstand the elements, cold, wind, snow, etc.

§  Concepts should be both functional and aesthetic

 The Committee

Artists’ submissions will be reviewed, and final selections will be made by a committee appointed by the Laramie Main Street Alliance board of directors, including input from the bike rack sub committee under the Alliance’s Design Committee. The committee for this project consists of LMSA’s Executive Director, Trey Sherwood, Design Committee Chair Bill Gribb, LMSA Vice Chair Jerry Schmidt, Wyoming Arts Council liaison Michael Lange, Sara Needles co-owner All Terrain Sports, Susan Moldenhauer Director for the UW Art Museum and Paul Harrison with the City of Laramie, Parks and Recreation Dept.

 The Budget

Stipend for selected proposal: $500

 Stipend will be awarded for the final selection. The artist will be expected to work with the Bike Rack committee and fabricators for no more than five meetings as needed to finalize the design.  

 Selected design will become property of LMSA and cannot be used for a similar project at a different location without approval from LMSA.

 The Guidelines

Eligibility:

• Applicant must be a resident of the State of Wyoming
• Applicant must be willing to meet project deadlines
• Applicant must be willing to travel to Laramie for presentations and/or participate in conference calls or webinars

 Submission Requirements:

• Cover letter including a brief narrative of the design concept, a little bit about yourself and what inspired your design (limit to one page)
• Contact information for yourself
• Proposed preliminary design concept with no more than 12  illustrations
• Include any support documentation you might have
• Application materials will become the property of the LMSA
  

Submissions packets on CD’s must meet these requirements:

• Format: JPG or TIFF (RGB color)
• Images: 300 dpi.
• Save image in correct orientation for viewing.
• Each image must be submitted as a separate image file. No Power Point presentations.
• CD disc must have artist’s name – use a black permanent marker directly on the face of disc (do not use labels). Send CD in padded envelope or cardboard sleeve, do not use jewel case.

 Submission packs that are delivered to 207 Grand Ave. must include 7 copies.

 In reviewing submission materials, the committee will consider the following:

• The quality of proposed artwork
• The ability of the artist to capture the spirit of the Laramie Main Street Alliance’s, Downtown Bike Connection Project through the creative use of      ideas and materials
• How well the artwork complements and visually extends the purpose of the project
• Affordability of the artwork
• Usability and functionality of artwork for proposed purpose
• Safety, durability, constructability and maintenance of the artwork

 Submissions will be collected January 15^th through February 28^th. Artists will be notified by mid-March.

 There will be an open house, January 19^th from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Main Street office for those interested in asking questions or doing a walk through of downtown. Otherwise, appointment requests, materials and/or questions can be directed to:

 

Laramie Main Street Alliance

Trey Sherwood, Executive Director

Attn: Downtown Laramie Bike Connection Project

207 Grand Ave., Laramie, WY 82070

downtownlaramie@gmail.com

 

The Mission: The Laramie Main Street Alliance (LMSA) is a 501 c 3 non-profit that strives to preserve historic downtown Laramie while enhancing its economic and social vitality.