Applications are due at
midnight, Thursday, March 5, 2026
The collaborative Art by Bus project includes a range of artistic engagements in transit to increase transit ridership and celebrate our transit system. It can include visual art on the sides of buses, musicians performing on buses, and literary artists taking inspiration from riding on buses.
The Writer by Bus aspect of the project engages a literary artist in riding the bus during April and or May and creating a short body of work to be released in September. It’s a fun celebration and community building effort, and we hope you’ll take part in it in some way. Visit www.ridesolutions.org/artbybus for past chapbooks and information on the entire Art by Bus project.
Artist JC Stallings and 2024 Artist by Bus Eva Lynch-Comer at the September 23 Art by Bus Celebration.
Project Goals
★ To draw attention to the important role public transportation plays in connecting our neighborhoods and communities,
★ To reflect on the role of transit in creating a just, healthy, and welcoming community that works for all residents,
★ To encourage transit ridership and celebrate riders,
★ To share the work of artists and the arts in making Roanoke a better place, and
★ To encourage riders, residents, and Roanoke visitors to explore and participate in the community around them.
Timeline
March 5, 2026, midnight Applications due
March 27 2026 Selected writer and applicants notified
April 1, 2026 Project onset
June 30. 2026 Deliverables finalized and submitted by author
September 2026 Try Transit Month celebrations and public reading
Application Process
Individual writers or writer groups may submit an application using the entry form below. Before you begin your application, gather all of your materials, including a writing sample, a résumé and references.
A panel of representatives from the sponsoring organizations, community members and writers will review the applications and select the writer(s). The panel seeks original family-friendly content that creatively and constructively celebrates our community and its potential. Transit riders and writers of color are encouraged to apply.
Questions? Contact Douglas Jackson (Douglas.Jackson@roanokeva.gov) at 540-853-5652.