Art of the Box adds color to city, county public spaces

By St. Clair Murraine
Outlook staff writer

Jovial kittens, a bear peering through a colorful bee hive and a vibrant flower garden represent just some of the art work that are on display around Leon County sites, including the courthouse.

The idea behind having colorful art in different venues is to brighten up utility boxes and traffic control boxes. At the same time, local artists are getting exposure they wouldn’t have otherwise while leaving less space for graffiti.

Two of the artists and some of the people behind the Art of the Box initiative unveiled the latest group of paintings at LeRoy Collins Library last Wednesday during a press conference, held in the lower level of the library off Bronough Street. 

The latest set of paintings is part of a collaborative effort between the city and county governments. The Knight Creative Community Institute administers the art display for the city and county.

Using art as a way to beautify the community started last September with a pilot project. Paintings were affixed to six boxes, including one that’s on the corner of Osceola and Wahnish Way on FAMU’s campus.

Since the launch, the project has been gaining support from local businesses, said Betsy Couch, executive director of the Knight Creative Community Institute. The change that the art brings to the areas where they are located is profound, she said.

“People saw something that was drabbed and graffiti covered in their neighborhoods,” Couch said, “then all of a sudden there was ‘wow, look at this beautiful piece of art.’ ”

Prior to last week’s press conference, Couch explained some of the values of the program in a release.

“We know that public art increases community engagement, improves mental health and encourages social cohesion,” she said. “Art of the Box brings all of these benefits as well as economic opportunity and marketing for talented local artists in our community.”

The concept started when members of KCCI saw the impact painted boxes has in areas around Palm Beach, Couch said. The next move was to take the idea to the city and county.

While the mission is the same, to beautify the city and county, each of their art programs is identified differently. The city’s is called the Artful Infrastructure program, while the county refers to its project as Art of the Box. The programs have now produced at least 20 boxers each.

The artists produce their work at a standard size, then the paintings are printed on waterproof vinyl that is wrapped around utility boxes for a murals affect.

Stephanie Roche, a veteran artist who owns Roche Design, said she wasn’t sure how her painting would go over when she answered the call.

“I was coming from a place where I wanted to share it but I wasn’t sure how accepting it would be to the community,” she said. “I wanted to be a part of the community and the art project. I wanted to be able to contribute and put my art out as well and have it considered.”

Roche said her painting titled “The Garden” was inspired by flowers that commonly grow in her neighborhood.

“With the beautiful green backdrop that Tallahassee is known for, I just wanted to share it with others,” she said.

Charlotte Spinks, a 16-year-old junior at Lincoln High School, said her inspiration for coming up with the “Hiv(e)voltage,” was a hive that her father had in their backyard. The painting features a bear’s head peaking through a hive with honey combs. 

The exposure of her work is the most she’s experienced, something she said she wasn’t expecting.

“I’m blown away by this,” she said. “I was overwhelmed when I heard that I won and it’s happening here all over again.”

Her astonishment started when she found out her art was selected.

“I was really unsure, especially because it looked a lot different from some of the other boxes; not as bright,” she said. “But I’ve been told that they really loved it and I’ve just been feeling really good about it.”

The next round of art will come from artists selected from a citywide contest that ended earlier this month. 

The five artists whose work is on display around the Tallahassee/Leon County area are: Rosa Cruz, “Lake Nature,” at Leon County Apalachee Regional Park; Joy Green, “Happy Kitties,” at LeRoy Collins Leon County Main Library; Stephanie Roche, “The Garden,” at Leon County Northeast Branch Library; Charlotte Spinks, “Hiv(e)voltage,” at J. Lewis Hall Sr. Woodville Park; and Robin Washington, “American Lotus, Florida Goods,” at the Leon County Courthouse.