Duarte looking for LA County artists for utility box art program

Duarte is now looking for original designs by local artists to cover four utility boxes in the city.

Los Angeles County-based artists aged 18 or older are encouraged to showcase their talents while promoting eye-catching public art throughout the city. This application is open to all artists: professional, amateur, and students. All approved designs will be printed on vinyl and installed on city-owned utility boxes by a third-party vendor. 

The original artwork can be designed or created in any 2D medium such as graphic art, photos, or similar materials. Applicants are encouraged to develop designs in digital format, however, the city will also accept photographs or scans of physical art for the application. 

This call for artists is part of the Utility Box Art Program, which aims to transform these metal cabinets into works of art in order to contribute to the unique character of each site location and create a more vibrant and welcoming cityscape.

Utility Box #1

• Located at the southeast corner of Huntington Drive and Mountain Avenue.
• The theme chosen for this location is “Route 66.” 
• This location is the westerly gateway of the city and will be one of the first things motorists and pedestrians see as they enter the community. The utility box does not have a meter pedestal and is located within the public sidewalk.

Utility Box #2

• Located at the southwest corner of Duarte Road and Circle Road.
• The theme chosen for this location is “Medical Health.”
• This location is at the easterly entrance to the City of Hope campus, across the street from the light rail station, and adjacent to the city’s Duarte Road bike lane. The utility box will be very visible for the many staff and visitors who use light rail to commute to City of Hope, in addition to the general public. A meter pedestal accompanies the utility box and a public sidewalk surrounds them.

Utility Box #3

• Located at the northeast corner of Fasana Road and Highland Avenue.
• The theme chosen for this location is “Transportation.”
• This location is adjacent to the city’s light rail station, and across the street from the Duarte Station Specific Plan – the community’s transit-oriented neighborhood. A 344-unit apartment building was completed in 2023, and a second, 292-unit, apartment building is slated to be completed by the end of 2024. Future uses adjacent to this box location may include additional mid-rise apartment buildings, mixed-use, and/or hospitality. This location is located at a “T” intersection and will be very visible to eastbound Fasana Road traffic. There is a meter pedestal with this utility box, but there is no sidewalk abutting them. A bike “sharrow” lane is located on both sides of Highland Avenue. 

Utility Box #4

• Located at the southeast corner of Huntington Drive and Crestfield Drive.
• The theme for this chosen location is “Childhood.”
• This utility box is located on the public sidewalk, in front of the Maryvale Early Education Center along with the easterly segment of Huntington Drive. This location will be most visible to pedestrians and many of the commuters who take Huntington Drive for their evening commute. The utility box does not have a meter pedestal and is located within the public sidewalk.

All submissions must include a Utility Box Art Program application, original artwork, and both a 200-word maximum artist statement and artwork statement. In addition to these requirements, artists can also submit a resume and one to three examples of previous artwork. Submissions for locations with both a utility box and a meter pedestal must include designs for both boxes. 

Artists can submit up to two design proposals, but an artist can only have one submission chosen by the city. Artwork will be evaluated by the Arts Ad Hoc Committee and will recommend submissions to the City Council for final approval. If their work is selected, artists will be notified within one week of City Council approval. 

Selected artists will be paid a $750 stipend per each approved design chosen for those utility box locations that contain only a utility box. Selected artists will be provided an additional $200 stipend per each approved chosen design for locations that have both a utility box and a meter pedestal. The artist will not be responsible for installing vinyl wraps.

All submissions must be emailed, hand-delivered or mailed to the Community Development Department (1600 Huntington Drive) no later than July 8 at 6 p.m. For more information on artwork requirements, artist eligibility, project details, and application guidelines, please AccessDuarte.com/Utility-Box-Art-Program.

More from Art