Gerald Hanks
Houston’s Inner Loop residents will reportedly soon see their unadorned, steel-gray traffic signal control cabinets converted into works of art.
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City officials announced this week it is working with more than 40 local artists to create “mini-murals” in several Inner Loop neighborhoods – an effort expanding a program already bringing some creative pieces to neighborhoods, like Midtown and Montrose.
“Mini-murals are a fun and creative method the City is using to add more art to Houston’s many thriving communities,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner provided in a press statement announcing the expansion. “This program showcases our artists, reflects our history and creates opportunities to enjoy creative expression in places people pass by every day.”
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From a total of 551 submissions, a panel of art experts said they selected 45 local artists to commission a variety of artworks to decorate traffic signal boxes in neighborhoods spanning the city – from Central Southwest, East End, The Heights, Montrose, Acres Homes, Gulfton, Near Northside, and the Second and Third Wards.
UP Art Studio is also reportedly coordinating the project after it managed the submissions process.
“It was amazing to see the astounding number of artists that applied for the Mini Murals open call,” Elia Quiles, managing partner of UP Art Studio, said in an interview with a local TV station.
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The new artists will join dozens of others who already left their mark around the city, with decorated traffic boxes ranging as far north as Greenspoint Mall, to as far southwest as West Bellfort at the Southwest Freeway.
Artistic themes on display range from historical figures to natural beauty to patriotic imagery.
To find a mini-mural box in your neighborhood, check the map on the Mini-Murals website.
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