Lethbridge City Hall (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By Justin Goulet

New project invites artists to spruce up utility boxes in downtown Lethbridge

Feb 21, 2020 | 11:31 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Local artists are being invited to add a splash of colour to the city.

A new project between the City of Lethbridge Public Art Program and the Heart of Our City committee will have artists design vinyl wraps that will be placed around utility boxes in Galt Gardens and at CASA.

In all, six boxes of different shapes and sizes will be wrapped, with five in Galt Gardens and one at CASA.

The initiative is a pilot for a potential on-going utility box wrapping/painting program in Lethbridge.

The pieces of art will be temporary with a life span of three to five years. In addition to beautifying the downtown core, another goal of the project is to protect utility boxes from graffiti.

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“I think there’s always tagging that happens [but] the interesting thing is when you put up public art, or you put up a mural or you wrap a box, there’s a tendency for them to be left alone. So, it really does help mitigate graffiti and some of the problems around that,” said Suzanne Lint, Executive Director of the Allied Arts Council and chair of the commissioning committee of Lethbridge’s Public Art Program.

Lint said local artists of all ages and skillsets are invited to send in their submissions

“We’re asking artists to come up with ideas that reflect the park and the nature of the park as a sort of hub of downtown – an area of activity, a place for festivals, the Rotary Square water park, things that will attract families,” she said.

“The theme’s pretty wide open, things like flora and fauna, things that have historical relevance to the park [Galt Gardens], play, activity, just items that engage people and make them happy and bring a smile to their face.”

Local artists of all ages can enter the competition.

The utility boxes and a map of their location (Photo courtesy the City of Lethbridge)

Lethbridge’s Public Art Program and the Heart of Our City Committee of Council will fund the production of the artwork. Artists who are selected will receive $500 per utility box for their creations.

Selected participants will be required to take part in a workshop with a project graphic designer in advance of executing their own design.

Specific boxes will be designated to each artist at the workshop and any information on requirements for modifying their designs so they are compatible with the wrapping process will be provided.

Proposal submissions will be accepted until March 23 with final designs required by June 1, 2020. Applications can be sent to publicart@lethbridge.ca with the subject line of “Utility Box Project”.

Further details can be found at publicartlethbridge.ca/current-calls.