News
20/04/2022

Bloomberg Philanthropies announces expansion of Asphalt Art to Europe!

 Bloomberg Philanthropies just announced the broad expansion of its Asphalt Art Initiative to the European continent. The initiative, which consists of a grant program, rewards daring, creative cities by funding visual art on their roadways, pedestrian spaces, and public infrastructure. Interested? Keep on reading below!

City streets often present various issues, such as lack of safety and inclusivity. To best tackle them, Bloomberg Philanthropies bets on creativity. Here comes the Asphalt Art Initiative.

This initiative is a grant program designed to fund visual art on roadways, pedestrian spaces, and public infrastructure in cities. Organised by Bloomberg Philanthropies, it seeks to help city governments and local communities:

  • Enhance street and pedestrian safety.
  • Revitalise and activate underutilised public space.
  • Encourage local cooperation and civic engagement.

With a strong presence already in cities across the United States of America, the program is now expanding further to Europe. All European cities with at least 100,000 residents can now apply to be one of the 20 chosen ones! The prize? Grants of up to $25,000 each and on-call technical assistance from the City of Milan's Agenzia Mobilità Ambiente e Territorio (AMAT) for art and design projects to transform urban streets. 

The selection criteria will be threefold, and competitive proposals must demonstrate their:

  • Impact (e.g., "The proposed project benefits the local community and engages residents/stakeholders in planning, development, and execution.")
  • Viability (e.g., "The project has demonstrated support from city and community stakeholders through existing support or a thoughtful outreach/engagement plan.")
  • Quality & Visual Interest (e.g., "The surface being painted is in good repair, or there is a reasonable plan to repave or otherwise treat it to be receptive to the chosen materials.")

The deadline for submission is July 11, 2022. Winning cities will be announced in October 2022 for projects installed in 2023.

 

For more information, check Bloomberg Philanthropies' Asphalt Art website page here.