The first blossom of a new public art project has unfurled at the corner of West 66th Street and Valley View Road. Public Art Edina’s latest beautification campaign aims to transform bland traffic signal boxes into gallery space. The first wrapped box was installed on October 24. As Mark Lidke, the graphic artist responsible for the box’s bright, eye-catching design explains, “The goal of the pilot box is to show the community what this project will entail and generate public interest.”
The boxes will support “an overall impression of a community that supports the arts,” Lidke says. Inspired by the success of a similar venture in Minneapolis, the project’s next phase will involve a call for artists. The project will “wrap as many as we can afford,” says Lidke. He estimates the cost per box at $500–$750. Funding for Public Art Edina is limited and greatly dependent on individual donations.
Interested in contributing your art? Call Michael Frey at the Edina Art Center: 952.903.5780
