City hoping to spark interest in art project
Officials seek creative ideas on how to turn utility boxes in local neighborhoods into vibrant original works
Sunnyvale is seeking artists to help transform its utility boxes into vibrant works of public art.
The city is entering Phase 2 of “The Great Box Cover-up,” a project within the city's Art in Public Places Program, officials said in a press release. The first phase of the project focused on utility boxes in or near downtown Sunnyvale, and the second phase will take the project to Sunnyvale's neighborhoods.
The city is currently seeking applications from artists who are willing to decorate the “drab, gray utility boxes” at 16 sites in Sunnyvale's residential areas. Each of the sites has one to three utility boxes — artists are required to paint the largest box at the site, but can paint more than one of the boxes if they wish, according to city documents.
Each of the artists or artistic teams chosen to “design and execute original works of art using city-owned utility boxes as their canvases” will receive a $1,000 stipend.
Artists from Sunnyvale are especially encouraged to apply, but applications are also open to artists and hobbyists from Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Contra Costa, San Francisco or Alameda Counties, the city said. Artists should have previous art or design experience and must be at least 18 years old to qualify for the program.
The city said artists must create original designs for the project and must cover all sides of the box with their work.
Artists are encouraged to reference Sunnyvale's history or culture, but it's not a requirement,” said Jennifer Garnett, the city's communications officer. “Most of our public art is in the downtown area and north Sunnyvale where development has occurred. This upcoming phase of the utility box program will bring art into neighborhoods and encourage artists to propose something that will benefit neighborhood settings.”
Applications are due by Monday at noon, and artists will be selected and notified between Jan. 13 and Jan. 25, city documents said. Artists will then have to submit a design proposal for approval before completing their artwork throughout April and May.
The next phase of the project will focus on four utility boxes near each of Sunnyvale's high schools, the city said. The first phase of the project was completed earlier this year.
The colorful utility boxes were highly requested by Sunnyvale residents, and the city council created The Great Box Cover-up after approving its Master Plan for Public Art in 2020, Garnett said. According to the master plan, residents were more interested in “functional public art” — like benches, bike racks or utility boxes — than any other type of public artwork.
City officials hope that all of the city's utility boxes will eventually be painted. Garnett said the city currently has funding to paint 50 of the boxes and will continue to revisit the program in the future.
Once the artwork is on the boxes, the city plans to keep it there for as long as possible, monitoring their condition and providing maintenance as needed.
“We have heard nothing but rave reviews from the community,” Garnett said. “They are thrilled to have them on display.”