The Chamber Young Professionals has announced the artwork that will cover five of the 22 traffic signal boxes downtown as the first phase of the group’s “Amped Up Artistry” beautification project. The artwork — which will be a vinyl wrap — will showcase different aspects of the history and culture of Owensboro and Kentucky.
The location of the first five art installations and their artists will be along 2nd Street as follows:
- Starry Owensboro by Brittany Samsil
- The Blessings of Bluegrass by Rex Robinson
- Kentucky Voices of Literature by Petra Mulligan
- The Boro by Will Evans
- The Sun Shines Bright on our Botanical Garden by Rex Robinson
“We are excited to get this going. Hopefully, by the start of summer, we’ll see some on the boxes downtown on 2nd Street,” CYP member Stephanie Bertram said.
These five boxes were sponsored by local organizations including Owensboro Municipal Utilities, Owensboro Health, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and RiverValley Behavioral Health.
Bertram said that each installation will have a QR code explaining the artwork and offering information about the artist.
The idea came to the CYP committee after members saw similar attractions in other communities.
“We want people who travel to Owensboro to resonate with Owensboro and see something more than just a silver electric box downtown. So what better way to do that than to get some local artists to put some beautiful artwork on them,” Bertram said.
The traffic boxes are owned by OMU, which noted the boxes will not be painted. Instead, they will be covered in vinyl wrapping. Bertram said the wraps are expected to last between 7-10 years.
OMU owns all traffic boxes, and the project will not affect the traditional power inside the box. OMU Public Relations and Communications Manager Sonya Dixon said they are excited to partner on the project.
“It is a great opportunity for us to be part of the continued beautification of the downtown area,” Dixon said previously. “We are excited to see the work of local artists prominently displayed on OMU traffic signal boxes, and we thank the Chamber Young Professionals for spearheading this project.”
