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Artist proposes Windsor-style utility-box art program; committee to continue discussion
Summary
Artist Marcy Greeley outlined Windsor’s utility-box art program — templates, themes, anti-graffiti coating and an ~$800 stipend — and the committee voted to continue developing a Sebastopol program at its next meeting after staff maps city-owned boxes and Caltrans/PG&E-owned locations.
An artist who participated in Windsor’s program presented how a utility-box art program could work in Sebastopol and recommended a call-for-artists process, templates and modest artist stipends.
Marcy Greeley (Speaker 7) said Windsor ran a community program that provided artists roughly $800 per box and supplied primer and guidance. "Each artist was to receive $800," Greeley said, describing Windsor’s timeline, templates and anti-graffiti coating procedures. Greeley recommended themes, clear guidelines prohibiting political or religious messaging and a deadline-driven production window.
Committee members asked staff to determine how many city-owned boxes exist, and where Caltrans or PG&E own infrastructure that would require additional approvals. Staff indicated Dante in public works had initially identified three city-owned boxes as pilot candidates and that the committee should ask public works for a map of all city-owned boxes.
Members discussed alternatives to stipends, including a high-school art-class competition to reduce costs. Committee members raised trade-offs between paying professional artists for permanence and offering youth opportunities. "Sometimes that feels like a way of having nonprofessional art put on public places," one member said, noting that the committee should be explicit if they choose a youth-focused approach.
After the presentation and discussion, Speaker 3 moved to continue the utility-box art discussion to the committee’s December 10 meeting so staff could gather additional information; Speaker 1 seconded and the motion passed unanimously. Staff was asked to reach out to Windsor’s point person and to research Caltrans/PG&E permissions, stipend sources and potential partners (ArtStart, schools).
The committee will revisit the item at its December meeting with a staff-provided map of boxes and options for program design and funding.
