UTILITY BOX PUBLIC ART
June - July 2024
OBJECTIVE
To propose a painted design for a local utility box as part of the "Transforming Belmont 2024" Public Art Project. Once selected, I was responsible for cleaning, priming, painting, and sealing the box, as well as documenting the process.
SKILLS SNAPSHOT
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
TIME MANAGEMENT
PROPOSAL WRITING
PAINTING
DESIGN STEPS
I proposed two designs for the utility box and wrote an artists' statement along with my application. Once the jury selected the design, I made modifications to improve its visibility from far away.
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From June through July, I spent 21 outdoor working sessions on the utility box. I started by scrubbing it down with water and dish soap to remove caked-on grime. Then, I applied two layers of primer before applying a colored base coat. From there, most sessions were spent painting designs on the sides and tops of the box. Finally, I applied a weather- and UV-resistant clear coat and two further anti-graffiti coats. The entire process took upwards of 80 hours!
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The utility box is located at the corner of Mill St. and Trapelo Rd, a busy intersection near the town line between Belmont and Waltham. I had many pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists stop by to chat and watch me work- at one point, I even got to team up with two preschool-age girls who wanted to paint along with me!
The original two designs I submitted for consideration to the Transforming Belmont jury
The BAA's Call for Entry
Experimenting with different colorways to improve visibility from afar
Final views of four sides of the painted utility box!