If you travel down Waco Drive, at pretty much every intersection, there’s at least one utility box. Many of them are painted an industrial green, a hue that just kind of fades into the landscape.
There are other utility boxes on Waco Drive, however, that pop with color. Butterflies. Hearts. Flowers. Iconic Waco fixtures such as the Dr Pepper Museum and Suspension Bridge. One box pays tribute to Waco’s rich musical history.
All of that art comes from artists who live and work in McLennan County.
The Utility Cabinet Beautification Program is a collaboration between the City of Waco and Creative Waco. Amanda Dyer, who worked at the time in the Beautification, Arts and Cultures department, “got the ball rolling on the utility box program,” said Julie Cervantes, who is director of strategic development with Creative Waco. (Dyer is now the assistant director of public works for the city.)
The artists’ call for the first round of wrapped boxes indicated that submitted art must celebrate Waco, Cervantes said. The work of 11 artists with that theme was chosen, she said, with a mixture of emerging, up-and-coming artists as well as those more established in the field. The theme for the second round of submissions — with 12 accepted — was a bit broader, Cervantes said, “because we didn’t want Suspension Bridges and the Alico Building every time.”
A third artists’ call for additional art will go out later this month.
“The program’s goal is to transform utility cabinets and related infrastructure along roadways in the City of Waco into canvases for public art, enhancing the city’s vibrancy, showcasing local talent, promoting thoughtful themes and deterring graffiti,” said Ashley Millerd, who is with the city’s Beautification Arts and Cultures.
And most of the boxes remain graffiti-free.
“Generally when it comes to public art, there’s just a bit of a respect and people tend to leave the things that have been well-invested in,” Cervantes said. “And so far I’ve seen a trend that nobody’s touched them.”
Artists submit very basic depictions of their proposed pieces, and a panel consisting of representatives from Creative Waco and the Waco City Council, as well as other artists who are not submitting proposals, choose which art will be featured on the boxes. The chosen artists receive $1,000 each, and W Promotions prints the art on vinyl that is then used to wrap the boxes.
“This is our most popular public art that’s out there,” Cervantes said. “Whenever I meet people and I say I’m with Creative Waco and I mention public art, they’re like, ‘Wait a minute. Are y’all the ones that do the utility boxes?’ Those are the ones getting everyone’s attention, which is kind of a fun phenomenon.”
Public art, such as the utility boxes, murals and the like, is important because it “creates community identity, enhances public spaces, supports economic development, celebrates local culture and diversity, encourages creativity and innovation, all while improving the quality of life for all,” Millerd said.
