The stars at night remain big and bright deep in the heart of Texas thanks to the hard work and dedication of Texas Hill Country residents and businesses. In 2014, Dripping Springs was the first city in Texas to be designated as an International Dark Sky Community, and the sixth one in the world. Since then, the city, its residents and business partners have diligently maintained that unique distinction. There are a lot of benefits to being in a dark sky community. We’re extremely proud of our beautiful night sky and view of the stars, it’s one of the things that makes Dripping Springs the best little city in Texas! Thus, we would like to celebrate our night skies with this exciting ‘Stars of Dripping Springs’ Public Art Project.
We encourage each artist to use their imagination in creating a star design that adds your unique perspective on Dripping Springs and incorporates one of the following categories:
Cathy Richardson graciously hosted a Star Story Workshop on July 15th. She shared valuable information and we had many great questions as well. We wanted to make sure all applicants had the best information so here are some highlights from the meeting and answers to questions raised:
Preparation: lots of great discussion on researching your Star ideas and using your passion and connection with Dripping Springs as your guide.
Not Just the Design: obviously, the design template is important. It should convey the vision you have for your Star. You should also ensure your Star title and artist statement about your Star and well prepared.
Categories: pls make note of the new Categories. Though Landscape/Nature is not a category this year given the abundance of selections the first 2 years, you may submit in the General Dripping Springs category if you wish.
Sponsors: note 2 sponsors will have Stars (Patriots Hall and the Fire Station on Sportsplex), thus the addition of 2 new categories. While the them may be enticing, submittals cannot state the name of the sponsor.
Star space: the small area just below the Star itself should be painted a solid color but not include any design.
Primer: the Star comes primed with Aqua Armor(TM), a UV stabilized, textured structural elastomeric polymer. This surface should not be sanded or penetrated. You may adhere paint, tiles, fabric, metal etc “on” the surface but not “into” the surface.
Clear Coat: after the artist completes and returns the Star, the City will have sealed with a car clear coat made primarily of polyurethane or acrylic resins, often combined with hardeners and UV inhibitors to create a durable, glossy, protective layer.
Your Paint: most artists have used outdoor, UV resistant paint you can pick up at any local hardware store, as well as acrylics and, in one case, oil paint.
Other Coverings: you may certainly think “outside the paint pallete including mosaic, metals, fabric. Just ensure you meet all the other guidelines and it is secure to the Star surface.
Rights: if your Star is selected, you will sign an agreement with the City. You will have Rights to use in your portfolio and your website and social media for promotion and publicity. The City will retain Rights to use the Star and its image on promo, social media, and website. The City may also use the image on merchandise if desired. Artist will not have such Rights.
Ready to Apply? See application below.
We look forward to seeing your fabulous submittals by August 14th.
The submission period has ended. If you have questions about the status of your submission for the Stars in Dripping Springs, please contact DSAL.StarsArtProject@gmail.com
