National Endowment for the Arts Announces $50,000 Grant to Under the Elevated

Under the Elevated: Reclaiming Space, Connecting Communities will engage community leaders, planners, architects, artists, and cultural organizations to develop strategies to maximize the function, use, and spatial qualities of the millions of square feet of space underneath NYC's bridges, and elevated highways, subways, and rail lines--- from dark, litter-strewn expanses of parking under the BQE to arched gateways beneath the 1 train in Harlem.

"The sheer quantity of spaces that lie right before our eyes, unnoticed, as we New Yorkers go about our business, is staggering. NYC has nearly 700 miles of elevated infrastructure, with over 100 million square feet of underused space beneath," says Susan Chin, FAIA, executive director of the Design Trust. "When you look at the impact the mile-and-a-half-long High Line has created, and then consider the potential of these spaces in neighborhoods across the five boroughs, you understand the magnitude of this undertaking." Under the Elevated will produce design guidelines as well as programming and policy recommendations that will inform the transformation of spaces citywide and around the world.

FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

The Under the Elevated project team will be comprised of an Urban Design Fellow, Policy Fellow and a Graphic Design Fellow. Please click to read more about each Fellowship, including instructions on how to apply.

Graphic Design Fellow
The Graphic Design Fellow will be responsible for developing a graphic identity system for the project, supporting the Urban Design Fellow’s programming and temporary design interventions with signage and other environmental graphics, and designing the final project publication. The Fellow will be expected to collaborate closely with the full project team from the start.

Candidates should have at least five years of relevant work experience and a degree in Graphic Design or a related field. Preference will be given to candidates who have experience working in the public realm and at multiple scales, ranging from book design to wayfinding. Additionally, candidates should have significant experience in: graphically communicating complex issues for a broad public audience; working directly with and presenting to clients (public-sector clients preferred); working on collaborative projects or in teams.

Final deliverables will include programming materials, the final project publication, and related promotional material. Process deliverables may include design concepts, interpretations and visualizations of Urban Design and Policy Fellows’ work, and draft designs for the programming materials, final publication, and related promotional material.

Applications are due on Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 11:59 PM.

For more information about Under the Elevated, please click here.