Utile invites artists and designers to participate in our ongoing exploration of how the built environment shapes identity, community, and lived experience.
Since 2021, we’ve had the joy of working with graphic designers, photographers, illustrators, painters, and multimedia artists to reimagine our Utile “U” logo in celebration and recognition of various community groups throughout the year. These logo iterations, along with artist spotlights, are shared through our social media and marketing platforms during commemorative months, creating opportunities to engage in conversations about how our built environment shapes and informs our unique identities and experiences.
Program Components
– Logo commission reimagining the Utile “U”
– Featured presence across our platforms during commemorative month
– Artist talk to share your story, process, art, advocacy, and activism
Submission Details
– Open for 2025 and 2026 cycles
– Rolling submissions via this form
For questions or artist recommendations, contact:
Jose Cotto, Director of Community Engagement and Design Justice
Why This Matters
“As architects, urban designers, and planners, we recognize that creating vibrant and equitable environments requires us to look beyond traditional approaches. Artists bring an essential lens to conversations about place—they help us see beyond the technical aspects of our profession to understand how spaces resonate with memory, how they carry meaning, and how design shapes both individual identity and collective visions of possibility. Through our Commemorative Month Artist Logo Program, we’re not just commissioning artwork—we’re building bridges between the creative and design sectors to develop more nuanced and culturally responsive approaches to shaping our built environment. These collaborations challenge us to think more expansively about our role while reminding us that the most thoughtful solutions emerge when we engage diverse voices and ways of seeing.”
— Jose Cotto, Director of Community Engagement and Design Justice at Utile
