Lafayette Consolidated Government’s (LCG) Environmental Quality (EQ) Division has partnered to create a Storm Drain Art contest as a way to educate the public on the issue of storm drain pollutants while also creating unique public art. EQ is asking artists to submit applications and designs representative of one of Lafayette’s greatest natural resources, the Vermilion River.

As part of EQ’s water quality improvement efforts, the project is a fun and colorful way to remind the community of  the storm drain’s final destination, raise awareness about the importance of keeping streets clean and brighten up a few of Lafayette’s high-pedestrian trafficked drains. Four storm drains will be painted for the second annual contest and the call for artists is open now through January 9, 2019. Artists are asked to submit their eco-themed design for one of the following locations: Freetown-Port Rico Neighborhood, Cajun Field, LaPlace Neighborhood and the Vermilion Street Garage. The final artists’ designs are intended to raise awareness that pollutants on land can affect the water quality of the Vermilion since storm drains are “where the river meets the road.” Applications, project guidelines, and locations of the preselected storm drains can be found at LafayetteLA.gov or picked up at the Acadiana Center for the Arts. Project installation will be spring 2019.