Town of Vail seeking artists for storm drain public art program
Each year, the town of Vail sponsors a handful of artists to create images for public messaging near Vail Village and Lionshead storm drains. The town is currently accepting artist applications, due March 12.
The Environmental Sustainability Team with the town of Vail started the storm drain art program, with the artists’ work printed on slip-resistant decals and placed near storm drains, to raise awareness for the health of Gore Creek, and the debris and trash they had found in the past. Some of those items included full gallons of paint, cooking grease, carpet cleaner and hot dogs, to name a few.
“People don’t realize that storm drains flow directly into the creek untreated. So we realized we needed to get the message out,” Peter Wadden, Vail’s watershed education coordinator, said in 2019. “I really sincerely believe that there is no one, or practically no one, who would dump those things directly into the creek. I think there must be a disconnect there. People didn’t understand that those are pretty much the same thing.”
Selected artists will recieve a $500 stipend to create work that depicts animal species that live in or near Gore Creek. They can use their media of choice to depict: cutthroat trout, bald eagle, moose, American dipper, boreal toad, American beaver or other, if they choose to suggest something else.
The application requires artists to submit a one-page letter of intent along with a maximum of 10 images of previous work and a list annotating them.
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Visit vailgov.com/notices for details or contact Wadden with questions at pwadden@vailgov.com or call 970-479-2144.
