Over 40 Ann Arbor signal boxes decorated with original art in ongoing project

This story is part of a series about arts and culture in Washtenaw County. It is made possible by the Ann Arbor Art Center, the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, Destination Ann Arbor, Larry and Lucie Nisson, and the University Musical Society.

Creative Washtenaw‘s PowerArt! project has transformed over 40 signal boxes in downtown Ann Arbor by decorating them with original work by Washtenaw County artists, aiming to enliven public spaces in the city. Artwork submissions for the project were reviewed by a community jury and then chosen by public vote.
 
The project has also found support from the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, the Ann Arbor Public Art Commission, and Larry and Lucie Nisson.
 
Creative Washtenaw President/CEO Deb Polich says the project offers “the opportunity to showcase regional artists” as well as a “practical aspect,” which is that city maintenance is no longer responsible for regularly painting the electrical boxes that control traffic signals.
 
She says that means the project has a dual purpose: first, “taking what’s typically an eyesore in a downtown area — the signal boxes — [and] … making them much more attractive,” and second, “assist[ing] with the maintenance of those boxes,” which are “often marked up with graffiti and/or flyers.”

For Polich, “public art and design programs are an opportunity for the … community to express itself, to be authentic to who they are, but also to have community members find joy.”
 
She draws the following example: say you stop by a park bench made of concrete.
 
“[There’s] nothing special about sitting in it, and it doesn’t make you feel good, except for the fact that you might be tired and you need to sit down,” she says. But, she says, imagine there’s something “whimsical” about that bench, something colorful. 

“Whether you’re cognizant of it or not … design and art makes us feel better,” Polich says. “… That’s really [the] point.”
 

In downtown Ann Arbor, the PowerArt! project is essentially complete. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be spreading to other areas of the city.
 
“We’re very much hoping that we will very quickly be moving into the neighborhoods with the PowerArt! project in Ann Arbor. We’d love to have other communities in Washtenaw County pick this up and do it in their areas, too,” Polich says.

Natalia Holtzman is a freelance writer based in Ann Arbor. Her work has appeared in publications such as the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Los Angeles Review of Books, Literary Hub, The Millions, and others.

Photos courtesy of Creative Washtenaw.