LYNN — The Public Arts Commission and Boston BRT are collaborating for a new initiative called “Art on the Move,” in which art installations will be added to bus shelters in the city.
Applications for artists are currently open and are due on July 28. Arts and Culture Planner LaCrecia Thomson said organizers are looking for artists to consider transit and mobility themes in their submissions.
“We’re really looking to create an opportunity for people who are using mass transit and waiting for the bus to have a little bit of joy while they wait, while also kind of giving them a little bit of information on the importance of transit,” Thomson said.
There are seven bus shelters throughout the city that have been selected for this initiative, she said.
According to a press release, the structures are three-sided and have five panes of glass, offering an “ideal canvas” for paint or vinyl designs.
Artists may apply as an individual or as a group, and their design concepts must be original ideas to be eligible. Applicants less than 18 years old must have the permission of a guardian to enter.
Applications can be submitted to Thomson at City Hall in room 303 or online at bit.ly/ArtontheMoveLynn.
Each artist or artist group will receive a $7,000 stipend paid in two parts, the press release said.
The installations will stay up for as long as they are viable, she said.
“We’ll take care of them as best as we can with cleaning and managing any sort of damage or anything like that,” Thomson said. “But they’re meant to be temporary, but we hope to keep them up as long as they continue to look good.”
According to Thomson, the other organizations the city is collaborating with on the initiative are Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, TransitMatters, New Lynn Coalition, and Ad Hoc Industries.
Artists will be selected by Aug. 11, according to the press release. Submissions will be selected based on their creativity, originality, and relevance to the Lynn community and transit.
“I think it’s just a great community-engagement opportunity and a way for people to bring a little joy to a mundane thing like waiting for the bus,” Thomson said.
