Santa Clara junior and senior high school students are invited to submit entries for the opportunity to paint their own design on a utility art box as part of the City’s “Utility Box Art Project”.
This program has been launched by the City’s Cultural Advisory Commission as a program to discourage graffiti on traffic signal controller cabinets – a favorite blank canvas for “taggers.” The “Utility Box Art Project” is an anti-graffiti approach that has been successful in other cities, the artwork adds color and interest to the utilitarian objects that are found on busy intersections. To date, 2 utility boxes have been painted in the City of Santa Clara. The artwork of participating artists will add beauty to the streetscape of Santa Clara for years to come.
The next utility box could be painted by YOU! If you’re a junior or senior high school student in the City of Santa Clara, you are invited to submit your original design to the Cultural Advisory Commission for judging. The theme is “A Reflection of Your Community,” and should reflect your ideas about what represents your surroundings, the City of Santa Clara, or what you hope for the future of Santa Clara. The winner will receive a $250 scholarship and the opportunity to paint his/her design on the next utility box (location to be determined). The deadline to enter is March 1, 2013.
An interview with Sumaiya Elahi, a Wilcox High School student, who designed and painted the utility box at the corner of Calabazas & Monroe in Santa Clara has been posted on the City's Youtube page.
The program is funded through donations to the “Keep Santa Clara Clean” trust fund. For more information, contact the Cultural Advisory Commission Liaison at (408)615-2210.