Let it Ride

4Culture - the public arts arm of King County - has posed an interesting challenge. A brand new program called "Arts aLIVe" (a Low Impact Vehicle exploration) asks how the arts and creative use of resources can enhance and inspire urban infrastructure. Recognizing that nearly every aspect of city design is designed around multi-ton motor vehicles, they wonder "what if a city was designed around a bicycle? Or something even smaller?"

4Culture has made $50,000 available for new ideas that envision a shift from dependence on material resources to an awareness of Low Impact Vehicles. All manner of ideas will be taken seriously, and thinkers are encouraged to submit everything from prototypes to poetry. Project ideas in any media will be accepted, and according to the 4Culture website "metaphoric ideas are also encouraged. " Selected project ideas will be funded and exhibited in a variety of ways, depending upon medium and context.

This project is being produced in collaboration with artist Cheryl dos Remédios and the Seattle non-profit Great City. Applications are due Monday, January 25, 2010 by 5:00pm. See here for more info.