On the Nature of Things | Forum

In a bid to deter taggers from vandalizing utility boxes, the city’s calling on local artists to use them as canvas to showcase their work.

With $25,000 in this year’s budget, it’s asking for proposals for art to decorate the boxes, paying artists $400 to $1,000 for the work and supplying them with a painting kit which includes eight acrylic mural paint colours, masking tape and traffic cones.

Peter Bushe, who coordinator of the paint utility box program, said there are about 410 light control boxes and 800 to 900 signal boxes in the city, many hit by vandals.

They have put art on about 14 to 15 done this year and hope to double that number.

“The purpose is not only to beautify the streetscape but to deter vandalism,” he said

“There is a code of ethics — you don’t tag over someone else’s art work.”

And studies have proven that to be true.

A similar project in Australia saw a huge drop in vandalism while a pilot, costing about $10,000 covering several boxes along 16 Ave. in Calgary painted last year saw similar success....