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Art Squad’s Operation: Traffic Box Art
November 18, 2015
The Bristol Art Squad burst onto the scene with the successful Operation Storefront Art and Art to Fight Blight projects. Now, Bristol’s cultural ninja’s are at it again with Operation: Traffic Boxes!
The Art Squad, supported by the Bristol Chamber of Commerce, joined forces with the City of Bristol Police Department to transform the grey traffic boxes into vibrant works of art that embody positivity, All Heart price, and emphasize our community’s cultural assets. Graciously sponsored by Home Depot, the Art Squad has sought out to paint 11 of the 70 boxes total by the end of this fall.
Several years ago, Lindsay Vigue helped gain approvals for a traffic box project through city council, only to see the project remain grounded. Now with the Art Squad, the project is in full swing! Artists have already begun transforming the traffic boxes into colorful works of art. In the upcoming weeks expect to see traffic box art popping up around your neighborhood with positive community-related themes such as Muzzy Field.
“The purpose is multi-faceted,†says Art Squad Captain Ginger Grant. “The art will represent great assets in our community in a vibrant manner, bringing our cultural personality to the forefront. To accomplish this, we assigned culturally relevant themes to certain box locations so a box downtown may represent Muzzy Field and the Bristol Blues, while one in Forestville by Manross Library has a Duck reading a book. It helps you stop and think about what’s in our community and invites you to participate. That’s what we want.â€
Artist Cody Martin is the first to complete his traffic box and was thrilled to paint a box that embodied Bristol’s community asset, Rockwell Park. “I’m glad to be a part of such an awesome project.†You can admire Cody’s finished box on the corner of West and Center Street.
Suzanne Godau is the second artist to start the project and has already blown people driving by away by the impeccable detail in her artwork. Godau has created a beautiful composition of Bristol Farms embodying growth of Bristol on the intersection of Jerome and Maple Ave. “There is nothing more rewarding, as an artist than to share my passion with the city that I love and proudly call home. Let’s paint the city and spread excitement, beauty and culture- just what Bristol needs!â€
Operation Traffic Box Art is officially in full swing. Be on the lookout for painting to continue throughout the beginning weeks of November and continue to support Bristol’s local arts and the Bristol Art Squad in their efforts to beautify and embody All Heart in Bristol!
Any artists interested in becoming part of the Art Squad initiatives contact bristolctartsquad@gmail.com. You’ll be happy you did!
