Signco is proud to be the official wrap team for the KC Streetcar Authority. Since 2018, Signco has wrapped Kansas City’s fleet of streetcars dozens of times to promote local businesses, notable happenings and events in our town, as well as designs created by local artists. Wrapping the streetcars was such a hit that the Authority, in partnership with Art in the Loop, engaged Signco to wrap the shelters along the streetcar’s route with eye-catching original art as well.
Art in the Loop
Art in the Loop is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the ongoing revitalization of downtown Kansas City through the visual arts, fostering artistic development, and broadening public engagement with new art initiatives. They have placed both permanent and temporary art installations throughout the city, including on the KC Streetcars, spaces along their route, and on the stop enclosures.
Each year, Art in the Loop extends an open call for local artists to submit their work for inclusion in the enclosures project. The theme for 2023 was “Celebrate,” and artists were asked to depict what they celebrate in life and how. After the committee selected the artists and their works, Signco adapted and printed vinyl wraps of the artworks for installation on the streetcar stop enclosures.
Signco’s participation solved a problem with the initial launch of this project. Originally, the artists themselves were responsible for finding and contracting wrap companies, which was cumbersome and caused the quality of the installations to vary widely. As stop enclosures are outdoors, the art installations are exposed to a wide variety of weather conditions over the course of their installations. The wraps needed to be durable but no best practices had been determined to improve durability. The initial engagement of a wide variety of art installation vendors (often found by the artists themselves) resulted in the use of less-than-ideal application methods and materials – which, to no surprise, led to art installations often fading and peeling. This situation was frustrating for the artists, Art in the Loop, and the KC Streetcar Authority.
To aid in solving the art longevity problem, the KC Streetcar Authority connected Art in the Loop with Signco, the Authority’s chosen wrap company for the streetcars. Signco had established a relationship with the Authority and, over time, earned a reputation for delivering exceptional quality at a reasonable price. In fact, Signco had become the exclusive wrap installer for the Streetcars.
By fully engaging as a partner in the Art in the Loop process, Signco was fully aware they’d undertaken the formidable challenge of transforming remarkable artworks created by local artists into a format that would effectively translate into striking streetcar enclosure placements – while also holding up to the challenges of extreme weather – a task that presented its own set of challenges.
There were logistical, safety, and visibility standards associated with the Art in the Loop streetcar stop enclosure wraps that Signco had already encountered thanks to previous experience with the Streetcar enclosure advertising applications. That said, the streetcar stop art installations came with a host of additional challenges, constraints, and timetables that Signco would need to navigate during the art printing and streetcar stop installation process – not the least of them being an unwavering commitment to preserving the vision and integrity of each artist’s specific work.
Signco went to work and, once again, got the job done. As a result, the works of Khyneesha Edwards, Kaitlyn B. Jones, Isaiah Lee, Madeline Marak, and Arin Yoon – an eclectic group of KC artists working in a variety of mediums and subject matter—are on proud display for Kansas Citians and visitors to enjoy at eight stops along the KC Streetcar’s route throughout the fall season.
Click here to learn more about Art in the Loop and the art currently on display around downtown KC!
Signco’s process for the production of commercial quality vinyl wraps, whether they be for art or advertising, is kept entirely in-house for maximum efficiency and quality control. Every wrap project completed by Signco uses premium 3M vinyl – the best on the market. Furthermore, each of Signco’s wrap specialists is officially trained and certified by 3M to install vinyl wraps, guaranteeing a quality, long-lasting installation. Signco’s team of graphic designers are experts at adapting imagery into whatever vinyl application is needed—whether it be a streetcar stop enclosure, large-scale wall graphics, storefront window displays – or even the side of a 77-foot-long streetcar!
