Arts commission selects colorful nature photograph for Silver Lake utility box

The North St. Paul Arts & Culture Commission voted June 3 to install entrant No. 1 as the photographic wrap for the Silver Lake utility box, approving the selection by unanimous roll-call vote.

Sharon Clark Williams, a commission member and a member of the utility-box subcommittee, told the commission the panel reviewed seven applications in a blind process and narrowed the field to two finalists. "We had no idea who took what photos — we only reviewed the art," Williams said, describing applicant No. 1 as "very vivid" with close-up imagery (blueberries, fall leaves and a monarch) and applicant No. 7 as a set of landscape/sky images that evoked Minnesota sunsets and open prairie.

Commissioners discussed aesthetic priorities before the vote: some said applicant No. 1’s bright colors and textural detail would be more visible from a distance, while others favored the landscape qualities of applicant No. 7. The commission then voted to approve entrant No. 1 for the Silver Lake box and to proceed with that installation.

Jordan Layman, staff liaison, noted that the commission would check whether using applicant No. 7 for an additional box would require reopening the call for artists or other procurement steps. The commission also discussed the typical cost order-of-magnitude for a utility-box wrap (about $3,000 per large box) and the idea of allocating multiple images across future boxes if procurement rules permit.

The vote was recorded by roll call: Carrie Neto — yes; Sharon Clark Williams — yes; Tom Sonic (chair) — yes; Laura String — yes. Staff will coordinate final production and installation logistics and confirm any procurement steps before proceeding.

Next steps: staff will secure final production details and confirm whether additional images from this competition can be used on a second box or must be reoffered under a new call.