Utility box artists to be honored this week, more mural artists needed

A mural painted by Robin Starr stands at the intersection of Dickson Street and St. Charles Avenue.

File photo

The city’s Keep Fayetteville Beautiful committee, along with Mayor Lioneld Jordan, will recognize the artists and volunteers responsible for the Utility Box Art program during this month’s First Thursday event, scheduled for Oct. 6 at 5:30 p.m. at the Town Center plaza.

The program was launched in 2013 by the committee in coordination with the Fayetteville Police Department as part of an effort to add more public art to the city while discouraging graffiti on the utility boxes.

Artists set to be recognized include Cameron Baker, Heather Bennett, Lee Porter, Tina Oppenheimer, Rachel Rodriguez, Robin Starr, Penelope Starr-O’Berski, Jessie Ward, Jeff Jackson, and inmates at the Arkansas Department of Community Corrections.

Officials are currently looking for artists to paint three more utility boxes. Locations include Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and School Avenue, Township Street and College Avenue, and the intersection of Razorback Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

To view the application and learn more about the project, visit fayetteville-ar.gov.