DDOT sends this release.
DC Arts and Humanities, in cooperation with the DDOT, is coordinating a design competition for the artistic identity/branding for the Metropolitan Branch Trail.
Applications showing past work are due on May 16th.
This call is open to all professional artists living in Washington DC, Virginia, and Maryland, although preference will be given to artists who reside in the District of Columbia.
Download final_mbt_calltoartist_3.26.pdf
The railroad - since that's the source of the name - is a natural choice for the name, but I hope they go beyond that with something else to tie the neighborhoods together.
I find it laughable that the press release refers readers to the website www.metbranchtrail.com "for more information". This website does not appear to have been updated for at least 3 years. The "news" section highlights the opening of the NY Ave metro section of the trail "on November 20th". One might infer, from the context, that this means November 2007 - but in fact it was 2004.
Posted by: Purple Eagle | April 18, 2008 at 08:02 AM
"...open to all *professional* artists..."
Hmm, wonder what the qualifications are to be deemed "professional"?
Posted by: icon o'classt | April 18, 2008 at 09:12 AM
Hmm, wonder what the qualifications are to be deemed "professional"?
Are you sleeping on a friend's couch? Then you're a professional artist.
I'm joking...
Posted by: washcycle | April 18, 2008 at 09:59 AM
I'm not a professional artist, but I would do a logo like this, with appropriate buildings, but in four tiers
1. bicycling and railroad-subway.
2. houses
3. downtown
4. signature monuments -- Capitol, Washington Monument.
Posted by: Richard Layman | April 20, 2008 at 10:13 AM
I forgot to include the logo from Michigan.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rllayman/1222876892/
Posted by: Richard Layman | April 20, 2008 at 10:13 AM
There has been a lot of debate about contests at the Art Directors Club of Metro Washington mailing list.
Well actually no debate, pretty much everyone came out against them.
Both the AIGA and GAG (who don't always agree on much concerning design and designers) oppose design competitions and actively discourage their members from participating.
I am not sure what stake I have in this. Architects regularly compete against each other. Whether that's a good thing or not, I don't know. And perhaps there is a chance for an agency or artist that wouldn't normally be considered to rise to the top.
This falls under the rubric of "spec work" and there is no single thing that will get graphic designers more upset than to bring that topic up.
For a group like the DC Department of Arts and Humanities to be promoting this, though, is particularly upsetting. They should very well know that this sort of thing is frowned upon and doesn't do working artists or designers any favors.
Here's the AIGA position on spec work. (Work done at no cost.) I believe that in the world of architecture, at least when there is a competition, the winner is compensated for her work.
http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/position-spec-work
Posted by: Christopher | April 20, 2008 at 12:48 PM
Looking over the brief. It's not really so much a contest, but an open call. Their isn't work to be done (other than applying) prior to the work requested for the trail itself. It sounds like they are pulling together a group of what would in essence be environmental artists and designers to do this. It's mushy and sort of in a gray area, but the brief is a little more explicit about compensation than their announcement is.
Posted by: Christopher | April 20, 2008 at 01:03 PM
The trail follows the rail line. The rail line followed Tiber Creek (now buried) and it'd be nice if the artwork recognized this as well.
Posted by: washcycle | April 20, 2008 at 06:34 PM