Elgin ramps up for public art campaign at Willard Skatepark

The Elgin Cultural Arts Commission is ramping up for another public art campaign, this time at the city's largest skatepark.

A call for art is open for the commission's new asphalt art program at Willard Skatepark, on the east side in Prairie Park. The art project will encompass painting the concrete pad at the skatepark and having complimentary vinyl printed mural materials covering the nearby basketball backboards and poles.

Assistant to the City Manager Amanda Harris said the location was chosen to activate a different area in Elgin with public art.

"Skating and tag art do play well together, and I think that's one of the beauties of this location," Harris said. "I'm hopeful that we're able to get something that plays with that concept."

"I want this to be engaging. I want it to be colorful. I want it to be bright. The thing that's probably most important to me is that the artwork reflects the use of the space," she said.

Applications are due June 11 at 9 a.m. Selected artists will receive an honorarium of up to $7,000 depending on the portion of the call for which the artist is applying. The basketball poles and backboard artwork may be submitted separately from the concrete pad mural and can be done by different artists. The winning artists will install the work this summer.

Artists interested in applying can go to cityofelgin.org/asphaltart.

The program's budget is $10,000.

"We think it will have a big impact without being a big hit on out budget or require grant money," Harris said.

The commission will review the applications, and those approved will be shared with the public for an online vote, she said. Details haven't been worked out yet but she said signage with a QR code at the park will be one way people can find the poll.

"I really hope that the people who use the space are the ones that get to make the final decision," Harris said.

The project is an extension of other recent public art programs, such as the wrapping of utility boxes in 2019 and the storm drain art project that will be installed this year. Harris said the call for storm drain art was a big success.

"We got 51 applications, and they were incredible," she said, adding the commission had so many to choose from that it expanded the number of winners and chose 10 artists.

"That many submissions in our first year is astronomical," Harris said. "I was floored, we have some really, really cool stuff coming."