What is the Art Box Project?

Traffic control utility boxes become art objects

Cranberry Township's traffic control cabinets – the stainless-steel boxes next to traffic light poles at most signalized intersections – are now works of art!  

The project's mission is to display art in public spaces to beautify the outdoor spaces of our community. 

A joint project by the Township and the Cranberry Artists Network identified a handful of utility boxes at high-traffic intersections to become canvases for original artwork. 

Although utility box artwork is new to Western Pennsylvania, art projects involving traffic cabinets have been tried successfully in California, Washington state, and Wisconsin where they are sometimes used to offset graffiti problems, although that form of vandalism is not an issue in Cranberry.

The idea came to fruition when Cranberry Township, together with the Artists Network, solicited ideas from artists for images which could be turned into vinyl sheets and then wrapped around utility boxes.  Altogether, 91 entries were received.  A committee was formed to screen the applicants’ ideas.  Five of the artists’ works were selected to be the first pieces to be featured on the art boxes.   The winning pieces are seen below. 

KEYTEX, a Greensburg-based consulting firm that specializes in energy management for commercial and industrial end use electricity customers across the country – is a sponsor of one of the art boxes.  Armstrong, is another sponsor, who will have three utility boxes wrapped in the year 2025.  Additional sponsors will be added to the project with its expected growth. 

The first winning artists and the titles of their works are:

• Monica Hietsch – Dogs, Dogs, Dogs 
• Karen Lovette – The Incline  
• Tom Panei – On a Good Note 
• Debra Tobin – Sunset on the Farm 
• Samantha Podnar – Sunset in Suburbia