Sign Here:  Syracuse

The City of Syracuse has a rich legacy of hand-painted signs.  That tradition is enjoying a resurgence in the art and advertising realm and has been the subject of recent work such as “Sign Painters,” a book and documentary by Faythe Levine & Sam Macon

“In any urban area, remnants of this bygone era still cling to the brick facades of older buildings, faded ghost signs advertising products and companies lost to time, writes Hunter Oatman-Stanford in Collectors Weekly.  “Their handsome lettering and eye-catching graphics survive as the legacy of each sign painter, who acted as designer, marketing director, artist, and contractor, all in one.”

Syracuse is a place that once again appreciates the artisan quality of hand-painted signs, and is launching a request for proposals to commission new work that will serve as permanent public art.

Syracuse University’s Office of Community Engagement and Economic Development, in partnership with the Connective Corridor and Near Westside Initiative, invites artists with expertise in hand-painted sign making to submit applications to design and paint permanent art at mural scale along the recently completed Connective Corridor streetscape.

The project will reflect Syracuse’s legacy of hand-painted signs, but function as contemporary visual anchors, with strong, simple typography and illustrative elements.  Works will be informed by the physical aspects of the specific site, as well as Syracuse’s overall historical and cultural context.

For details, please download the full RFP. 

Final proposals are not required to apply. Responses at this stage should include:

• Current resume/CV with detailed contact information
• Cover letter with an artist statement that provides us a concept of how you would approach this project.
• Examples of your work

Applications are due no later than 11:59 p.m. EST on March 1, 2015. All materials must be submitted via e-mail as a complete PDF package to Quinton Fletchall, Connective Corridor Engagement Scholar/Public Art Coordinator:  qdfletch@syr.edu