Algonquin looking for bike-rack artists
The village of Algonquin is calling for artists to participate in its new bicycle rack art contest. The village is working toward a Bicycle Friendly Community designation from the League of American Bicyclists. In an effort to promote cycling, additional bicycle racks need to be installed in commercial areas and parks. The village decided to combine this goal with an art competition to create unique bicycle racks for the village.
Each artist will be required to submit a design of the proposed bicycle rack. If their design is selected, then they would be required to construct the bicycle rack. Both the design and the finished rack will need to meet the specifications outlined in the design criteria. There will be two competitions for bicycle rack designs. One will be to create a signature bicycle rack and the other will be to include art into a standard (U-shaped) bicycle rack.
The judging will be based on the design theme, the constructability, the functionality, and maintenance requirements. Once designs are selected, the artists will be notified. The artist will then have two months to construct their design. The artists will be awarded a stipend once the finished bicycle rack is submitted.
A stipend will be provided to the artists whose design is selected after they construct the bicycle rack. The artist is responsible for constructing their design either themselves or by contracting with someone else to construct the design. For the standard design, the village will supply the standard U-shaped bicycle rack for the artist to attach their artwork. The stipend amount for the standard design will be $200. The artist is responsible for all materials and construction costs, except for the bike rack. For the signature design, the stipend amount will be $2,000. The artist is responsible for all materials and construction costs.
The village will partner with local businesses interested in sponsoring a bicycle rack in front of their business. If your business is interested in participating, call Katie Parkhurst at (847) 658-4184.
All submissions are due Feb. 1. Visit algonquin.org for full details of the contest including the design criteria and application form. For details, call Katie Parkhurst, senior planner, (847) 658-4184.