Driving through Moscow, one may notice art in a strange place — traffic boxes.
Many of the traffic boxes that contain valuable electronic equipment for managing traffic lights now have artistic vinyl wraps instead of their usual green color.
Kathleen Burns | Courtsey
Moscow artists place their laminated art onto powerboxes to make them more beautiful and give opportunity to local artists in response to a regional wide trend.
“It’s a good way to get local artists involved in the community,” said Kathleen Burns, moscow arts director “It’s a reflection for the community.”
Burns got the inspiration to begin the traffic box project after visiting the nearby city of Coeur d’Alene, where a similar program was already in place.
Other nearby cities, such as Lewiston, Boise and Missoula also began to decorate their traffic boxes, and Burns thought Moscow should fund a similar program.
Burns said she returned to Moscow, where she began using money from a public arts ordinance to fund a search for the right artwork from artists in the community.
One of these artists to answer the call was Rachael Eastman, a University of Idaho art graduate and now junior high art teacher.
“I’ve wanted to be an artist since the first grade,” she said.
Inspired by the prospect of having her art displayed for the entire community to see, she submitted a piece inspired by the Rainer cherry trees found on her family’s 100-year-old farm house property.
After Eastman submitted her work, the piece was reviewed and vetted by the Moscow Arts Commission. Because the project is an effort to promote local artists in the community, the art accepted is often submitted by students. Once a piece of art is selected it is submitted to local sign and wrap maker, Steve Hilkin owner of Cutting Edge Signs & Graphics.
Because the selected art is usually not constructed to be turned into a large print, it’s up to Hilkin to transform the artwork into something that can be blown up into a fully sized wrap capable of covering an entire traffic box. Hilkin must ensure that by enlarging the selected image, he does not negatively alter the quality of the work.
After the image is touched up and enlarged, it is then printed onto a vinyl wrap, which after one to two hours of application has fully transformed what is an ugly box holding electronics into something that brightens up the community, Burns said.
The wraps themselves only have a five-year lifespan before wear and tear eats away at the art, at which point the original green paint will begin to seep back through.
Despite the arts deteriorative nature, it gives new artists a chance to showcase their work in their community. The art’s short life cycle exposes the community to a more diverse range of pieces. Although Eastman’s art will one day be replaced, she is glad Moscow will experience a diverse range of pieces.
“More and more people are becoming aware of the role of art in the world,” She explains. “Hopefully it will be appearing in more and more places.”
Burns hopes the program can stay afloat far into the future. She feels that both art students and the larger Moscow community benefit from the mutual artistic relationship.
“The Number one benefit is the beautification it brings into an engineered space,” Burns said.
Although the program is run by the city, the artists deserve all of the credit.
Sam Balas
can be reached at
arg-arts.uidaho.edu