The Smoke Signal

By: Staff Writer Neha Shah

The City of Fremont has recently implemented the program boxART! in hopes of both beautifying the city and stopping vandalism. The City of Fremont hosted an art competition in which all Fremont citizens were able to apply and submit an art piece. Applicants had to give their name, address, phone number, and a 200 word statement describing their piece. These submissions were critiqued by all Fremont board members and a few were selected to be painted on the 165 electrical boxes that are spread throughout Fremont. At the end of October, one-third of the electrical boxes had been painted. A couple can be seen on Walnut Avenue, Paseo Padre, Chadbourne Drive, and by Mission Coffee.

The selected artists featured on the City of Fremont’s website include: Suzanne Gayle, Maria Grazia Romeo, Frost Newton, Lisa Hoffman, Tejas Harith, Gerardo Ontiveros, Birva Nayak, Paulomi Upadhyay, Lan Loi, and James O’Donnell III. They were a sample of the group involved in “Phase 1 Call to Artists.” The boxes’ depict “artwork that spans diversity, equality, play, environment, and more…” as written on the Fremont’s website. Some portray eco-friendliness, people skateboarding, and the intricate workings of a clock while others have deeper meanings and illustrate how child labor is inhumane, and how people are always moving much too quickly, unable to enjoy the beauty in the world around them.

In the future, the boxArt! program will be having other phases where anyone in Fremont can help out. The program manager, Susan Longini, will be making announcements on the City of Fremont website for anyone who is interested in participating in the program.