The Niles Chamber of Commerce and Industry is inviting artists to submit designs for its newest public art initiative.
Last year, the chamber did a “Stop and Smell the Roses” art project. Taking a cue from the City of Chicago’s 1999 “Cows on Parade” project, the chamber created 35 fiberglass roses and invited artists to paint them. Once they were finished, the roses were put on display throughout the village. During the annual Night of Roses event, the sculptures were auctioned off, with proceeds going toward several Niles organizations.
Niles Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Executive Director Katie Schneider said that the project was so successful that her organization wanted to do something similar this year. The “Niles Treasures” project will give artists a chance to color and otherwise modify wooden chests. The artists have until Friday, March 6 to apply. Compared to last year, the artists would have more leeway to modify the chests, and they’ll get a bigger stipend – and Schneider said she hopes that it will bring even more money than the roses.
The project will use wooden coolers made out of pine. Each “Treasure Chest” has four wooden legs, rising to 30 inches, with the top measuring at 18.5 inches across and 27 inches wide. Each one weighs approximately 35 pounds.
According to the artist application form, which is available on the chamber’s official website, the artists will be able to paint, sculpt and otherwise “transform” the object. However, the chest can’t be modified to the point where it can’t function as a cooler – so the modifications can’t block the inside drain. All designs must be approved by the chamber beforehand, and they can’t include anything “overtly religious, political, violent or sexual in nature.”
While the artist will have some flexibility to make changes to their designs after their applications are accepted, any of those changes will need to be approved by the chamber. The artists would have an option of designing a chest to suit one particular business, but they wouldn’t be able to use any corporate logos without the approval of both the logo’s copyright owner and the chamber.
As per the agreement the artists will be required to sign as part of the application, all the rights to their design will be assigned to the chamber. However, once the chests go up on public display, each chest will have signage with artist information.
The artists will be expected to buy their own supplies. Once the chest is complete, each artist will receive a $150 stipend. By comparison, last year, each artist received a $50 stipend.
Schneider said that any artist in any medium can apply. Once the designs are approved, each chest will be paired with a local business, which will sponsor the chest. The artist will have eight weeks to make their design a reality, with the final deadline set at June 28.
After the deadline, the chests will be displayed throughout Niles from beginning of July to the end of September. During this year’s Night of Roses – which is scheduled for Oct. 3 – the chests will be auctioned off. As last year, the proceeds will be donated to Niles Family Services’ Food Pantry and the chamber’s “Dollars for Scholars” scholarship program, and some of the proceeds will go to the chamber itself.
Schneider and Kyle Brown, the Chair of the Chamber’s Public Art Program Committee, officially unveiled the project on Jan. 27, at the start of the Niles Village Board meeting. The two chamber officials brought a tapestry-covered chest to the chamber floor and revealed the object. Schneider thanked the village residents for supporting the previous year’s projects and touted its success.
“Each organization [that the donations went to] received more than $2,000,” she said. “Because of the positive response, we decided to do the program again.”
Brown encouraged local artists to get involved.
“Niles has many treasures, and we’d like the entire community to participate,” he said.
Igor Studenkov is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter: @istudenkov
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