PowerArt! is back for 2024! Creative Washtenaw is again managing the public art program in cooperation with the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority (AADDA) and the City of Ann Arbor Public Art Commission Public art champions, Larry and Lucie Nisson, are, in part, supporting this project.

Eleven new works by Washtenaw-based artists will be chosen for PowerArt! 2024, a public art project in downtown Ann Arbor that wraps traffic signal boxes in downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan with vinyl-printed replicas of local artists’ work.  Additionally, a number of previously installed works are scheduled to be replaced with the former artworks.

With a commitment to artistic quality and including the public in its public art and design projects, Creative Washtenaw is implementing a multi-step selection process.

PowerArt! 2024 Step-by-Step

• Step 1 - The Call for Art, open to Washtenaw County based artist ran through June 28, 2024. 50 artists replied with applications. 
• Step 2 - Seat a community jury that includes members of the general public and art experts to select 15 PowerArt! semifinalists from the eligible submissions. The jury has been seated and will soon begin their review of almost 100 submissions to select 15 semifinalists.
• Step 3 - Conduct an online community vote to select the 11 finalists from the 15 semifinalists selected by the jury. The public vote runs August 9 to 5 p.m. on August 20. Check back here for the ballot.
• Step 4 - The 11 works selected by public vote will be announced shortly after August 20. Then installation begins! Check back here by August 23 for winners to be announced!

To date, 26 PowerArt! boxes have been installed in the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority district. They are fun, whimsical and popular with townies, visitors and artists. See comments from the community below.

The City of Ann Arbor reports multiple benefits from the PowerArt! project. In addition to transforming the previously battleship gray traffic boxes that collect flyers and graffiti into colorful canvases displaying the work of local artists and beautifying its downtown, the City of Ann Arbor has found a practical benefit from PowerArt: vandalism and maintenance costs have decreased. A City of Ann Arbor field operations supervisor reports being very pleased with the program, “The boxes look really nice and have drastically cut down on the amount time and money spent on maintenance. They’re great.”

For more information about PowerArt!, please contact Creative Washtenaw at info@creativewashtenaw.org or 734.213.2733.