Artists Work Replaces Graffiti On 28 Sacramento Street Corners

Many Sacramento street corners will look quite a bit different when a beautification project called the "Capitol Box Art Project" has been completed.

Twenty artists' work will be displayed on 28 utility boxes throughout Downtown Sacramento and a small part of Midtown. 

Gioia Fonda says her art combines several media with fabric and plastic that she likes to disguise with paint.  A picture of her creation has been transferred to vinyl wrap and will be installed at the corner of 9th and O streets.

"I mean it's not dreary there. It's just very business-like there. And I feel like people aren't thinking about plastic fun shapes and different colors in that moment. This is an opportunity to kind of bring a little different kind of idea to someone's day."

Angela Wallace just moved into the neighborhood where two boxes have already been wrapped. She says she'll enjoy seeing art instead of graffiti when she takes her bulldog Olive for a walk.

"Of course, the graffiti, I notice it everywhere, well not everywhere, but I notice it on the boxes and places like that and I think it's pretty cool that they're taking a step to cover it up and make it pretty."

Arturo Romero is one of the 20 artists chosen to be part of the project.  His work can be seen at the southwest corner of Fremont Park.

"It's very cartoonish, very colorful and more-or-less I wanted to do this for the kids. This playground here was a big part of my thinking for the project. Hopefully it's just going to add beauty and color to the city."

Judy Johnson lives across the street from the park.  She says she's thrilled graffiti is being replaced by art.

"All ages you know that stop and look at it and then they turn around and come back and walk all the way around and then take pictures.  So, that, it's wonderful to see the public art and people really appreciating it. They're so unique."

The Capital Area Development Authority and the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission

The boxes will be wrapped by the end of the week.  The Capitol Area Development Authority and Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission paid the artists $500 per piece. Both groups hope to expand the project or re-launch the $35,000 project after three years.