Grant Guidelines & Eligibility

Supporting pilot projects to demonstrate the impact of these low-cost activations and encourage cities to develop their own processes for implementing effective asphalt art projects.

The Asphalt Art Initiative grant program is designed to fund visual art on roadways, pedestrian spaces, and public infrastructure in cities. Typically, the projects are painted murals, organized in collaboration between city governments and local communities, with the following primary goals:

The current round of the Asphalt Art Initiative grant application is open to all cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The deadline to apply is June 12, 2023. The program will award up to 20 cities grants of up to $25,000 each, as well as on-call technical assistance from the tactical urbanism firm Street Plans. Winning cities are expected to be announced in fall 2023 for projects installing during calendar year 2024.

Please refer to our currently funded Projects as well as the Bloomberg Associates Asphalt Art Guide to gather inspiration from successful asphalt art projects in cities around the world. The Guide includes detailed guidance and best practices for implementing similar projects, with cost- and time-saving advice on every step of the project, from site selection to implementation and maintenance.

Eligible Applicants

This grant program is open to all cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Each city may only submit one application; multiple applications from one city will not be considered. Please contact arts@bloomberg.org with questions about eligibility and visit Submittable for technical support.

The Project Team may include various collaborative partners, such as city government agencies, nonprofit community or arts organizations, and/or individual artists or consultants. The Project Team must include a Lead City Agency, which is the primary government agency with oversight of the project (e.g., Department of Transportation, Cultural Affairs, or other appropriate agency). If the Lead City Agency is not the government agency with jurisdiction over city streets, then that agency must be a part of the Project Team.

If selected, the Lead City Agency will be required to select a fiscal sponsor to receive the funds directly. The fiscal sponsor should be a charitable organization that is a 501(c)3 Public Charity (or an equivalent entity in Canada or Mexico).

In addition, each application must identify which entity or individual is responsible for project management (day-to-day coordination and implementation) and which is responsible for artistic direction (selection of artist/design, etc.). We understand that each Project Team is unique, so please do your best to represent the makeup of your team.

Eligible Projects

Site

Each application must have a site identified for the proposed asphalt art project (or sites, if multiple are feasible within the budget). Eligible sites should be on or adjacent to active roadways, and may include crosswalks, intersections, vehicle/parking lanes, pedestrian plazas, sidewalks, or highway underpasses. Sites should have the potential for active pedestrian usage, so that the artwork can have maximum impact. Sites may be located in and managed by one or multiple jurisdictions (city, state or county, public utility, regional transit authority, etc.) but must be largely or completely on public property and be fully open to the public. See page 71 in the Asphalt Art Guide for considerations when selecting a site.

Duration

Proposed projects may be temporary (e.g., a single artwork application with plans to eventually remove faded paint) or they may be longer term with plans for repair/reapplication or a planned/proposed capital construction. All proposals must include an appropriate plan for maintenance of the artwork for the duration of its installation, as well as a plan for repair, removal, or replacement when the artwork begins to age.

Goals & Metrics

A critical component of the Asphalt Art Initiative is to identify priority goals for each project and to make a plan for collecting metrics to determine how successful the project is at meeting those goals. Improving road safety, especially for pedestrians and cyclists, must be a component of all proposals. Goals and metrics may differ from project to project, but proposals with clear safety-related goals will be prioritized. See our List of Common Metrics for reference.

Budget

Each application must include a proposed budget outlining how the grant will be expended. Competitive proposals will include in-kind support from the municipality, particularly from the engineering or transportation department (e.g., permitting, repaving, engineering drawings, signs and markings, planters or traffic barriers, traffic control during installation, and/or maintenance). Proposals may also make use of additional funding or in-kind support from outside sources, if applicable.

Content

Funded projects cannot include obscenity, hate speech, political messages, religious content, commercial advertisements, or depict illegal activity.