By Khalida Sarwari
Saratoga is about to get a lot more colorful. The city has big plans this year to turn its utility boxes and rocks into works of art.
At its meeting on Jan. 4, the city’s Public Art Committee discussed several initiatives for the year, with the two biggest being the “Paint the City” utility box art project and the “#SaratogaROCKS” rock-painting program. The hashtag is meant as a nod to the social media aspects of the initiative.
The intended goal of the box art project is twofold: allow local artists to express themselves on city-owned property, and reduce graffiti and vandalism.
According to Lauren Pettipiece, a spokeswoman for the city, 52 artists submitted applications for the project. Applicants were asked to attach a conceptual design of their work with an explanation of how it would reflect the history, heritage and culture, as well as geography, neighborhood or area of the utility box’s location. Of the 52 applicants, 45 qualified, said Pettipiece. That number was further narrowed down by the committee to just two or three artists per utility box.
Residents can decide the artists for each of the seven utility boxes throughout the city, visit the survey at saratoga.ca.us. The artwork that receives the most votes will be presented to the City Council on Feb. 21 for final approval.
The city has a $5,500 public art budget for artist stipends, preparation of the boxes and applying protective coating to the artwork, in addition to outreach and advertising costs.
The boxes are at Saratoga and Cox avenues; two on Saratoga Avenue and Bellgrove Circle; two on Allendale Avenue and Quito Road; one box on Fruitvale and Allendale avenues; two on Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road and Reid Lane; two large boxes on Saratoga and Fruitvale avenues; and two large boxes at Congress Springs Park.
The painting of the boxes is expected to kick off on March 24 and conclude by April 30.
Starting this week, the city also started accepting reservations for the four #SaratogaROCKS kits available for checkout. Residents can also provide their own supplies. The kits are available with a refundable deposit of $40 for four weeks at a time, with the option to renew the reservation.
Participants are invited to paint a rock, mark their name and the hashtag #SaratogaROCKS on the bottom and then hide the rock in a public place. Examples of hiding spots could include street trees, city parks or at the Civic Center. When participants share photos of the rocks they’ve created or found on social media, they are encouraged to use the same hashtag.
The idea behind the rock-painting program, according to Pettipiece, is to encourage residents to engage in public art and build community. Similar projects in cities around the country have resulted in a deeper engagement between the city and its residents and visitors.
More information about the program can be found at saratoga.ca.us/rocks.
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City launches colorful programs, asks residents to select artists
