Sign of spring: Wellesley seeks artists to paint four more traffic signal electrical boxes

We thought artists had already painted every Wellesley traffic signal box in town, but no. There’s more art to be done. Four boxes in town remain unadorned, a sorry situation that must be remedied. To that end, the Wellesley Public Art Committee, working with the Wellesley Police Department, seeks artists to put in proposals for the Electrical Box At Program to “help make our community even more colorful and enhance the visual experience for Town residents and visitors.”

Program details, eligibility criteria, and comprehensive proposal information are in the Spring 2022 Traffic Box Art application.

All proposals must be received by Friday, April 15 at 4pm to be considered. Proposals may be emailed to [email protected] or delivered as hardcopies to the Wellesley Police Department, in care of Chief Jack Pilecki.

The program began in late 2020 and is now in its fifth round. Local artists—both amateur and professional —and art and educational institutions are invited to apply to paint boxes this spring.

The locations under consideration for this round of the program are:

• Central Park – Central Street & Grove Street
• Cedar Street at River Road and Walnut Street
• Route 9 East Exit Ramp at Cedar Street
• Linden Street at Everett Street (2 boxes, additional compensation for this location TBD)*

*This location includes more than one box with varying size dimensions. Please make sure to choose the correct design template; visiting the locations in advance is encouraged.

Selected artists will receive a stipend for their time, transportation, and supplies. Painting must be done between May 2, 2022 and June 30, 2022.

Use this interactive map for a virtual tour of the completed traffic boxes in Wellesley, photos and locations, and artist and sponsor information.