ArtsFairfax invites local art enthusiasts to get on social media and take a selfie with found art for a chance to win arts experiences from cultural partners throughout Fairfax.
As the local arts agency that provides funding and resources for the arts sector in Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, and the City of Falls Church, ArtsFairfax launches the first ever Public Art Locator Challenge—a social media scavenger hunt to promote their Public Art Locator, a tool that maps public art throughout the region.
By gamifying the Public Art Locator, a free web application with over 200 works of street art, murals, and sculptures already mapped, ArtsFairfax wants to celebrate the art that makes the Northern Virginia unique AND identify new opportunities for public art installation in in our region. Public Art is all around us – you just have to find it!
From July 1 through September 30, participants are encouraged to take a photo with artwork that is publicly accessible and post the picture to Instagram or Facebook. Qualifying Public Art Locator entries will be entered into a raffle for gift certificates, show tickets, and other offerings from Fairfax arts organizations.
If you are not comfortable taking a selfie, we ask that each photo has a “sign of life” or some indication that you were at the site when the photo was taken.
How to Play
To secure one entry:
- Post a photo with artwork that you found through the Public Art Locator, tagging ArtsFairfax and using the hashtag #PublicArtLocatorChallenge
To secure two entries:
- Upload new artwork to the Public Art Locator
- Post a photo with the artwork, tagging ArtsFairfax and using the hashtag #PublicArtLocatorChallenge
What is considered public art?
ArtsFairfax considers any artwork that is accessible by the general public at all hours, day and night, a work of public art.
How will we know if our submission has been updated in the Public Art Locator?
Because it is ArtsFairfax’s responsibility to validate submitted artwork and supply as much missing information as we can, publishing the submissions takes up to one week to verify.
Minimum requirements for an artwork submission to be published include the following:
- Title of art (can be "Unknown)
- A picture of the art
- Category of artwork (selected from a dropdown)
- Location (selected by dropping a pin on the map)
- Brief description of the art
About the Public Art Locator
The ArtsFairfax Public Art Locator is free and easy to use. A user simply takes a photo and fills in as much or as little as they want, and the app geotags the submission. ArtsFairfax then verifies and fact-checks the art to supply more information, such as who the artist is, what materials were used, etc. The locator has approximately 215 works of street art, sculpture, murals, and more already mapped in Northern Virginia.
