The Public Art Team of the Metuchen Downtown Alliance (MDA) invites artists to propose design ideas for a life-size birthday card to be presented to Mayor Jonathan Busch in honor of the 125th anniversary of the founding of Metuchen. The card will be available for all to sign at the town’s celebration on June
6th.
Project Goals
Metuchen is America, a community with a rich history of diversity, growth, and connection. To celebrate this, we are commissioning a special piece of artwork for a birthday card that captures the essence of Metuchen’s unique character.
This card will serve as the centerpiece for our township’s 125th anniversary celebration. We invite artists to create black linework in a coloring book style, allowing the community to engage with and add their own touch to the piece.
Project Details
- Card Size: 86 x 59 inches, folding to 43 x 59 inches
- Printing: Black linework, one-sided
- Stock: 3/16-inch Infinity Board (writable)
- Purpose: The card will serve as a giant community birthday card, to be signed and colored by town residents and presented to Mayor Jonathan Busch of Metuchen. Ideally, the artist should be available to handwrite or illustrate a large message inside, if needed, as this option prints on one side only.
Stipend: The selected artist will receive a $125 award, which can be redeemed at a Metuchen restaurant or local shop of their choice. We will remit payment upon receipt of final artwork and signed agreement. Additionally, the artist will have the opportunity to present the card to Mayor Jonathan Busch at the scheduled event on June 6th.
Selection Process: Artist selection will be performed by the MDA Public Art Team. Proposals will be selected and artists notified by 5/9/25. Each artist will be required to sign an agreement to the terms of the project before work can commence. No previous public art experience required; artists of all career levels and locations are welcome to apply.
Timeline
4/14/25—Post Open Call & Application
5/02/25—Applications due
5/9/25—Notification of Artist Selection with letter of agreement
5/12/25—Final artwork file delivered
6/6/25—Public celebration of project
Application Requirements
- Contact Information: Name, Address, Email, Phone Number, Website (if applicable)
- Artwork Submission: Please submit a vector file, created in Illustrator. No PNGs, JPGs, or Photoshop files.
How to Apply
Submission may be emailed to publicart.metuchen@gmail.com
