The City of Sacramento is inviting artists to apply for a new public art project that will bring artist-designed creative crosswalks to two local schools in the Gardenland Northgate neighborhood of South Natomas. Known as the District 3 Creative Crosswalks project, this effort will combine traffic safety and community engagement by installing two creative crosswalks near Garden Valley Elementary and Smythe Academy.
“This public art project is a creative way to connect students, artists and the community around the shared goal of safer streets,” said Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes, who represents the district. “By integrating art with traffic safety, we’re engaging young people in civic dialogue while enhancing the neighborhood.”
The project is supported by a State of California grant allocated to City Council District 3, along with funding from the Office of Arts and Culture. It is led by the City’s Art in Public Places program in collaboration with Slow Down Sacramento and the Department of Public Works.
This work builds on the City’s ongoing investments along Northgate Boulevard, including the installation of light pole banners, efforts to expand Taco Plaza, and funding support from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG).
About the project
The City’s Northgate Boulevard Transportation Plan identifies the 2.42-mile Northgate Boulevard corridor as having a higher rate of pedestrian and bicycle collisions than the citywide average. Research from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Asphalt Art Initiative shows that public art near roadways can help calm traffic and improve safety. The District 3 Creative Crosswalks project aims to address these concerns by using public art to improve visibility and promote traffic safety through education and community engagement.
As part of the project, four artists—two Design Artists and two Teaching Artists—will be selected to work with fourth-grade students, teachers and community members to design and create crosswalk artwork. They will also lead public engagement activities, including a student art exhibition and a Community Paint Day event. Each artist will receive $6,000 in compensation.
An online information session will be held on Aug. 6 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. via Zoom. The session will be recorded and posted online for those unable to attend the Zoom session.
Applicants must be 18 or older. Additional consideration will be given to those with cultural, familial or historical ties to the Northgate Gardenland and South Natomas neighborhoods or the broader Sacramento Valley region.
The deadline to apply is Aug. 18, 2025.
Full details, including project guidelines and application instructions, are available on the Office of Art and Culture’s website.