The “welcome” to Irvington on East Washington Street got a little dimmer on March 15, when a driver plowed into the painted traffic signal box that was on the corner of Emerson. The box was severely damaged and had to be removed by the Department of Public Works. No one was injured in the accident.
As word of the damage spread on social media through Irvington, the artist who created the artwork, Rita Spalding, took action. She went down to the site and took pictures. When DPW showed up to take the damaged box away and restore the traffic lights, Spalding asked if she could keep the box. A worker said that they would clean the interior of the box, removing the electronic panels, and bring it to her. Usually, damaged signal boxes are scrapped or sent to a landfill.
Spalding painted the box last year in homage to Irvington artist William Forsyth. The images were inspired by the Hoosier Group artist. Forsyth’s home stood on the south east corner of the intersection.
Spalding hopes to get the box back and reinstall it in another public space.
