Waves of DuPage:
Beautiful Cities Public Art Project

We are looking for partner communities in College of DuPage’s District 502 to participate in the WAVES OF DUPAGE: Beautiful Cities Public Art Project, showcasing an iconic location, building or landmark in your city/village rendered in a ukiyo-e style.

Submissions are due by February 15, 2025, and the cost per community (city/village) will be $250. This fee includes the creation of artwork and printing of one (1) vinyl adhesive with a maximum width of four (4) feet, as well as a digital file of the artwork that the city/village may reproduce as desired. Submissions received after February 15, 2025, or requests for additional images, will be processed as capacity allows, and the fee for each artwork will increase to $500.

Participants agree to

  • Provide a rights/royalty-free image of a city location, building or landmark that our commissioned artist will render in a ukiyo-e style. (Ideal photograph will be taken from sufficient distance to get some nearby trees, plants, sky into the frame. You may submit additional images to show detail or different possible vantage points.)

  • Pay a $250 fee that covers the creation and printing of the artwork (one vinyl adhesive mural, details below). Additional images or submissions received after February 15, 2025, will be processed as possible and the fee per image will be $500.

  • Confirm a location in your community, in agreement with COD, that would be highly visible preferably to both pedestrian and vehicular traffic. This location would be best on the exterior wall or window - a smooth surface, not brick. (This will be a vinyl adhesive and removable.)

  • Install the mural in the agreed upon public location by May 31, 2025, or earlier; must remain up through the Exhibition, which ends September 21, 2025.

  • Host a public event for the “unveiling” of your Ukiyo-e artwork

  • Promote the Exhibition in your city/village communications (newsletter) 3 times during the run of the Exhibition (June-Sept 2025)

Participants Receive:

  • One vinyl mural per community (smaller dimension can be up to four (4) feet maximum, larger dimension is variable depending on the artwork). Each community is responsible for installation of the artwork (instructions will be provided).

  • Digital file of completed artwork for each community to reproduce in further ways.

  • Two tickets to Hokusai and Ukiyo-e: The Floating World exhibition

  • Invitation to a VIP Hokusai Community Partner Party

This exhibition of murals in the WAVES OF DUPAGE: Beautiful Cities Public Art Project is sponsored by the College of DuPage Public ArtProject, an initiative hosted by COD and the McAninch Arts Center. COD Partners with communities in DuPage County with the mission to complete public art installations and community art projects.

To submit your image a proposed location, please fill out the form at this link or below: bit.ly/ukiyo-eproject. To discuss and learn more about placing a mural in your community, please contact Mandy Rakow, Education & Community Engagement Coordinator at (630) 942.3018 or email at rakowa@cod.edu.