About the Open Call

The City of Duarte's Utility Box Art Program celebrates the 2026 centennial of Route 66 with the theme "Duarte’s Route 66 – Past, Present, & Future." The program seeks original 2D artwork—including digital designs, photography, or scans of physical art—that reflects the city's connection to the historic "Mother Road." Subthemes include Faces & People, Pop Culture & Entertainment, and Landscapes. Selected designs will be printed on anti-graffiti vinyl and installed on traffic controllers, meter pedestals, and irrigation control boxes. The City and a third-party vendor will assist selected artists with final modifications and scaling.

What is Offered

Artists will be paid a stipend based on the configuration of the utility box: $950 for traffic controller and meter pedestal pairs, $550 for meter pedestals only, and $400 for irrigation control boxes. Stipends are paid in two installments: half upon selection and half after installation.

Requirements

Applicants must be at least 18 years old and reside, work, or attend school in Los Angeles County. Artwork must be original, appropriate for all ages, and void of advertising, copyrighted material, or political partisanship. Selected artists must provide designs in PDF, AI, PSD, TIFF, or JPEG formats.

How to Apply

Artists must apply via the CaFÉ platform, providing a completed application, original artwork (high resolution, 300 DPI minimum), an artist statement (200 words max), and an artwork statement (200 words max). Resumes and work samples are optional.