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Public art panel approves six CDBG‑funded utility‑box wraps, requires consistent artist labeling
Summary
The Waukesha Public Art Committee voted to accept six local designs for vinyl wraps on utility boxes using $10,000 in CDBG funds and asked staff to add a small, consistent credit label on each wrap; staff will finalize labeling details and work with the vendor on installation timing.
The Waukesha Public Art Committee voted to accept six proposals for vinyl wraps on utility boxes funded with $10,000 in Community Development Block Grant money and added a requirement that each wrap include a consistent credit label, the panel decided during its meeting.
Staff said the program has a $10,000 CDBG allocation for the utility-box project and that the vendor quote for wraps and installation is roughly $2,009.54, leaving about $7,000 for artist awards and materials. "We have $10,000 in CDBG money, to use," a staff member said during the discussion. Committee members clarified that artist fees are separate from the per‑box production cost, which staff described as about $738 per box.
The six accepted submissions include proposals from Irene Taylor (artist fee $500), Julie Garton ($500, photographic historic images from Waukesha Beach), Melissa Hilmer ($300, painted wrap on historic springs), Jaya Breeze (paperboy/Waukesha Freeman theme, fee noted in application), a $2,000 submission from Don Alexa showcasing pieces by a local art center, and a $500 proposal from Joseph Ora's titled "Propagative Flow." Staff summarized the math: base artist fees for the six proposals totaled roughly $4,300; adding the vendor quote yielded an estimated total of $7,002.54—under the $10,000 CDBG allocation.
Committee members raised concerns that some wraps could look like advertisements if a single artist or business name dominated a design. One committee member asked whether artists would be identified on the wraps; members proposed compromises such as a small labeled square on each face or a separate credit panel. Staff noted DPW restrictions against drilling and suggested weatherproof adhesive plaques or a discrete corner label; they agreed to investigate technical options with the vendor (and a company named Geiger) and return with recommendations.
"I move that we accept all 6 proposals," a committee member said when bringing the motion; the Chair seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
Next steps: staff will notify selected artists, confirm production and installation timelines (staff said wraps could be produced from September through early December and must be purchased/installed by the end of the CDBG funding year), and return with options for a consistent credit label before installation. The panel also agreed the Don Alexa submission should be adjusted to make its identifying elements less prominent if the artist concurs.
