The San Marcos Arts Commission has issued a call for artists to create designs for traffic control boxes along Ranch Road 12 in San Marcos.

The art call comes as a part of the Traffic Control Box Art Program and applications are due by Friday, Jan. 17.

Artists can submit designs for a single box or all three boxes as a series. The City of San Marcos is looking for designs that will adhere to a common theme if an artist submits entries for all three boxes. Artists’ selected designs will be digitized, printed on vinyl wrap and applied to the control boxes.

According to the city, the Traffic Control Box Art Program is designed to enhance the city by adding works of art to the streetscape on surfaces that are often targeted by graffiti. Artwork on traffic signal boxes functions as a form of communication to a moving audience with the goal of creating a safe, inclusive and interesting urban environment.

“Successful proposals will foster community pride and evoke the unique spirit of the San Marcos community,” the city said in a press release. “Finished works will be on functioning equipment that will eventually need repair or replacement, although the City hopes to keep the art intact when this occurs.”

The goal of the project is to continue intentionally growing free public art displays in San Marcos while helping to decrease the instances of graffiti.

Artists should meet the following objectives when creating their designs:

Include all visible sides of the traffic signal box

Be thoughtful about having large open areas on their artwork that could provide vandals a space to deface the work

Adhere to a common theme among all three boxes if submitting designs as a series

Full details about the project, including submission instructions and points of contact, are posted on the city of San Marcos' website. The application deadline is Friday, Jan.17, 2020 at 5 p.m.