Geneva artists invited to paint fire hydrants

Geneva residents can leave their artistic marks on the community this spring by participating in the "Art on Fire" hydrant design program.

The city of Geneva, in collaboration with the Cultural Arts Commission, is seeking artists to "adopt" and paint fire hydrants. More than 50 hydrants have been painted the past two years as part of "Art on Fire," and the program has been well received by residents and visitors who have taken notice of the artwork in the downtown and surrounding areas.

With more than 1,800 fire hydrants throughout Geneva, plenty of "blank canvas" remains for artists to submit new entries this spring. "Art on Fire" was established by Mayor Kevin Burns in 2013 as a way to showcase Geneva's artistic talent and bring art into the community.

"The 'Art on Fire' program continues to ignite imagination, creativity and community participation," Mayor Burns said. "I look forward to the new designs that will soon be displayed on fire hydrants across Geneva."

The program is free and open to the public, but participants must submit an application to the city by Friday, May 1. The application can be found on the city's website at www.geneva.il.us or picked up at Geneva City Hall, 22 S. First St.

"Art on Fire" does not mandate a specific theme, but the program encourages artists to incorporate the character of the hydrant's surrounding environment into their design. City staff reviews and approves all application designs to make sure they do not compromise the visibility of the hydrants for firefighters in an emergency. Artists will be allowed to paint their hydrants during the month of May.

The city's public arts advisory committee and cultural arts commission will again judge the hydrants and award prizes to the top three design winners in June.

People can take a virtual tour of all the decorated hydrants on an interactive map posted on the city's website. The map will be updated this summer to include all the 2015 submissions.