Green-lighting ArtBox projects

SANDUSKY — These days, local artists and Sandusky's government often intersect, meeting up to pursue vibrant projects. Three new projects in the city's ongoing ArtBox initiative recently debuted across some of Sandusky's busiest roadway crossings controlled by red-, yellow- and green-light crossings. Introduced in 2022, the project seeks to enliven traffic control boxes, located at intersections on city public right of ways. Officials drew inspiration from bigger cities, such as Boston, Massachusetts, and Houston previously adopting this concept. While staff members do give artists creative freedom, some parameters do exist. "Proposals are encouraged to positively reflect the unique culture, racial identities, history and/or iconic public figures of the city of Sandusky and Sandusky Bay," according to a city statement. Arin Blair, the city's chief planner, gave some additional context. Artists aim "to develop projects that will stand the test of time and create memorable experiences," she said, noting it's a "high-impact, easy-to-implement program to create more public art in public places across the city." "City-owned traffic control boxes are highly visible structures that provide a frequent and unexpected opportunity to feature public art," Blair said. With these three now completed, this brings Sandusky's total ArtBox count up to five. "The ArtBox program is a great way to get local artists' work out in the neighborhoods. These city-owned traffic control cabinets become an unexpected opportunity to feature public art," Blair said. "There are dozens of opportunities for ArtBox projects around the city." Each artist can receive upward of $1,000, up from a maximum of $500 per project. "Assuming the program continues in 2025, which I expect it will since it has been a popular program, the number of potential projects and program budget will be set in the 2025 work plan," Blair said. "Once that is established, artists will be able to submit proposals to complete a project next year. Anyone interested is welcome to contact me now and get their email address added to my outreach list." People can contact Blair by emailing ablair@cityofsandusky.com. Painting the mission's picture The program helps fulfill Sandusky's ongoing public art initiative. In short, officials identify opportunities where such visuals make sense to improve certain areas. This would include murals in and around downtown along with sculptures popping up in city parks. The ArtBox program lines up with this mission by seeking "to create unique and pleasant experiences for Sandusky residents and visitors," city community development director Colleen Gilson said. "Transforming utility boxes, which generally blend into the background, into art places and spaces is a goal of the program. Another goal is celebrating Sandusky's talented arts community," Gilson said. Finding the latest ArtBoxes Here's a look at the three new ArtBox projects with context provided by Blair: • "A Beautiful Horizon" at Sycamore Line (U.S. 6) and Milan Road (U.S. 250) by Jeniah Prentice Local artist and aspiring muralist Jeniah Prentice designed this piece to express her love for nature and the tranquility it brings. She wished to convey the beauty of the natural world and invite viewers to appreciate the simple joys found in moments like these. The front of the ArtBox proposal is a sailboat silhouette in the sunset while the back features the Marblehead Lighthouse. These iconic features represent the magic of the bay and will be recognizable to residents and guests of the city. Jeniah enjoys painting in a myriad of styles. She is a Sandusky native and building her portfolio with the intention of creating murals in her career. Completing an ArtBox project was a pipeline project to achieving this goal. • "Sandusky Seasons" at Columbus Avenue, Campbell and Scott streets by Lori Jameson Lori Jameson is a Sandusky-based artist who has been painting since kindergarten. She has studied several types of art forms, including design, drawing and painting. Lori completed the "Day of LEM ArtBox" painting depicting Bessie, the Lake Erie Monster, in 2023 at the intersection of Tyler Street and Hayes Avenue (Ohio 4). For this project, Lori painted a story of the city across a year of seasons. Each side of the box features a different season following the life of a tree, a family of cardinals and Sandusky Bay. The scenes depict a variety of seasonal stories from nesting birds and rainbows to blooming flowers and sailboats to snowy branches and ice fishing. • "Lake Erie Tern" at Wayne and Water streets by Siah Kornegay It depicts a common tern flying over Sandusky Bay with the sun, clouds and a sliver of moon above in the sky. The artist, Siah Kornegay is a Sandusky-based multi-medium artist and muralist. She is also a two-time City Hall gallery exhibitor. She is a Sandusky native and was inspired to pursue the arts at a young age by her brother who is also an artist. Kornegay spoke more in-depth about "Lake Erie Tern" "I have been drawing since a very young age and have always known that art was my passion regardless of the medium," Kornegay said. "My inspiration comes from my older brother, who is an incredibly talented artist. I was thrilled to learn about the ArtBox project and wanted to be a part of it," Kornegay continued. "I saw this as an opportunity to showcase my talent and share my gift with the world. I chose the Sandusky tern bird as my subject because I found it to be the most beautiful bird while researching birds native to the downtown area. The process I used was straightforward. I employed techniques that I am proficient in, which made the process smooth and efficient."