New Utility Box Artwork Approved
Aug 07, 2023 12:46PM ● By Jeanne Fratello
Composite photo/design by Ryan Cardone. Image via City of Manhattan Beach Cultural Arts Division.
Those boring-looking utility boxes you see around Manhattan Beach? They won't be blank for long.
Following approval by the Manhattan Beach City Council, 12 utility boxes will soon be covered with artwork from local artists - including several local students.
Each artist will receive a $600 commission for his or her design. The funding for the project comes from the city's Public Art Trust Fund (a fund established through a dedicated 1% development fee that does not impact the General Fund).
The Utility Box Beautification Project is a public art program designed
to transform common traffic control utility boxes into distinctive works
of art, creating a more vibrant, attractive cityscape. This program is
under the direction of City Council and is supervised and facilitated by
the Cultural Arts Commission and city staff. The program aims to celebrate
local artists and their artwork and serve as a deterrent to graffiti.
(Utility box locations. The orange circles, numbered 1 through 11, represent the boxes installed in the first phase. The red circles, numbered 12 through 23, represent the newly approved design locations.)Part One of the Utility Box Beautification Project was completed in 2019 and resulted in 11 utility box "wraps" by local artists.
For Part Two, the City Council approved a total of $38,400 to cover artists' stipends and installation of the (vinyl) artwork on the utility boxes.
Utility Box Designs Reflect Local Themes
Many of the newly approved designs highlight local themes. One design includes a drone photo of downtown Manhattan Beach taken by Ryan Cardone (see lead photo above). That photo illustration will appear on a utility box at the corner of Marine and Cedar Ave. "Locals know that wintertime is usually the best time to see some of the most amazing sunsets," Cardone said in his artist's statement.
A depiction of the Mira Costa girls' volleyball team created by student Ilana Buholzer will appear on the utility box at the corner of Artesia Blvd. and Meadows Ave.
(Design by Ilana Buholzer)Local artist - and longtime El Porto surfer - Charles Bragg created a composite design from photos that he took of local pelicans. "Pelicans are zen masters of riding their air waves," he said in his artist's statement. "They should be represented and introduced to anyone who goes to the beach."
Bragg's box will be located on the corner of Pacific Ave. and Manhattan Beach Blvd.
(Design by Charles Bragg)Student Neli Simon created an illustration of life and recreation on the beach. "My design is based on what comes to mind when I think of Manhattan Beach: walking under the pier between the columns, watching the surfers, attending beach volleyball competitions, ending the day with a beautiful sunset," she wrote in her artist's statement.
(Design by Neli Simon)Local students (and siblings) Isabella and Auden Lui both created designs for the project. Their designs will appear on boxes on Manhattan Beach Blvd. at Poinsettia Ave.
(Design by Isabella Lui)
(Design by Auden Lui)The Lui siblings also have artwork currently on display at the Manhattan Beach Arts Center's Community Art Exhibition.
