It’s been a couple of months since Foundation East’s signal box/public art project was completed. Many people who regularly commute on the east side have noticed the cool-looking art as they wait for a green light or as they passed by. But on New Year’s Eve, a couple of the boxes got attention of a negative type: they were vandalized.
On social media, Rita Spalding took a photo of one of her works that was defaced with spray paint. Immediately, neighbors and friends began commenting, and within hours Rita found many, many e-mails — some offering sympathy, some offering to help her clean them.
“I clear-coated my boxes,” she said, “that’s what made the difference. We got some cleaner from the store and it came off.”
Paula Nicewanger/Weekly View
Rita Spalding’s box at 10th & Arlington (theme Farm Heritage)
However, the vandalism at one of the other boxes was more extensive, with vandals splashing paint on them. And those boxes were not protected with a clear coat, so it is likely they’ll have to be completely repainted.
At an artist appreciation event on January 15, the artists who created the boxes came to Jockamo’s in Irvington to celebrate the success of Foundation East’s project, and to raise funds to clear coat the rest of the signal boxes. Well over a hundred people showed up on a bitterly cold night to meet the artists and support Foundation East’s project aims.
The goal is to raise $3,000 to buy enough clear coat to protect all the boxes in the Irvington area. The fund, which people can contribute to online at squareup.com/market/vshah/clear-coat-fund, will buy enough material to cover boxes throughout the area. Spalding said that many people have volunteered to paint them as soon as the weather warms up (probably March).
Shane Foley, an IMPD officer who first suggested the neighborhood paint the signal boxes as part of a crime deterrent program in Irvington Terrace, noted that the project has taken on a life of its own, evolving into a community art project that seems to be bringing in a wider audience. “When the first boxes were painted in 2012, they suggested life, motion, activity, which is what we want people to know about the area. There’s life and activity here, and people who care.”
The artworks that were created in 2012 as part of the KIB Great Indy Clean-Up garnered a lot of favorable comments from the public (and city officials), and Foundation East grew from that initial experience. But the project also has helped bring the community together in surprising ways.
Shelby Kelley’s box at Hawthorne & Washington St. (theme Bus Bike Walk Irvington)
Many of the artists said that their experiences painting the boxes in November brought out the best in people. Erin Kelsch, said that she got a lot of attention as she worked on her project. “I had someone bring me coffee. People stopped to tell me their stories. It was amazing.”
Erin Kelsch’s box at Arlington & Brookville (theme Car Culture)
Given the community support, co-founder of Foundation East Vishant Shah said that the group is eager to take on new challenges, include possible art along the developing Pennsy Trail, and in other areas around the city.
Foley said that the success of the Foundation East work has led him to encourage other areas to tackle public art projects as well. “I’d love to see these downtown,” he said. “I don’t know why they haven’t done them yet.”
To get involved, or contribute to Foundation East’s efforts, visit their Facebook page or e-mail artfunddream@gmail.com.
