“It’s a way to foster creativity in a community.” - Iowa City seeks emerging artist for bus stop project

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) - Travelers coasting along Highway 6 in Iowa City might miss a bus stop just east of Heinz Road. The only indication is its sign.

While transit users are familiar with the route, community leaders aim to make it more noticeable to all who pass by - through their ‘Bus Stop Bench Project’.

“There’s a lot of use of bus stops in all neighborhoods in Iowa City. In the south district it seemed there was a lack of bus stop benches,” said Iowa City’s Public Art Coordinator, Wendy Ford.

For many years, leaders with the South District have worked to promote business and strengthen the neighborhood overall.

The South District Neighborhood Association aims to add to that by applications and selecting an artist with ties to the community to lead the project.

“They wanted to ensure that we created functional art, something that would be lasting and would be utilized, and would be a positive addition that people would not just walk past, but appreciate,” said Elinor Levin with the South District Neighborhood Association.

The artist selected will have help from a ‘project manager’, but they will be mostly in charge of the design, fabrication, and installation of this bus stop bench.

“It’s one way to foster creativity in a community, to foster pride in a community, and to help emerging artists in their careers, which is not always an easy thing,” said Ford.

The deadline for applications is on January 23rd. More information can be found here.

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