City seeking graphic novel artists to use Fremont and University Bridge towers as art studios

The City is seeking two graphic novel artists for a unique opportunity: create a bridge-inspired graphic novel, whilst using a bridge tower as an art studio.

The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS), in partnership with the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will choose two artists for the bridge tower art residency; one for the University Bridge and one for the Fremont Bridge. SDOT and ARTS hope that the bridge tower studios will help inspire the artists, who will be asked to focus on some aspect of the bridges in their graphic novels.

Seattle artists, or artists living within 100 miles of Seattle, are eligible to apply—the deadline is May 28. The chosen artists will be asked to present a public or online showcase of their work once completed.

The bridge tower residency will be from August to November 2020, but each artists can choose their timeline within those months. The organizers say if the residency locations are inaccessible in response to the COVID-19 Public Health guidelines, a remote residency will be agreed upon.

This isn’t the first time the City has commissioned artists to use the bridge towers for their work; the tower has served as a temporary studio for a writer and musician in recent years.

For more details on the application process and expectations, click here.