Utility Box Photo Wraps

Meet the Organizers: PPNA and Powderhorn365

Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association (PPNA) has installed vinyl photograph wraps on six utility boxes on Chicago Avenue in south Minneapolis. The photographs come from Powderhorn365, a local photography project and program of PPNA involving both professional and recreational photographers who collectively publish one photograph per day taken in the Powderhorn Park neighborhood.

Powderhorn365 involved the community in the process of selecting the art to be placed on the utility boxes. The curator, Aria Dominguez, compiled photographs from the first three years of the project, and the community was invited to vote for the images that they wanted to see on the utility boxes. Once the voting period was closed, Aria arranged the winning images on the boxes based on cropping/formatting considerations, colors, and complementary themes. For instance, the photographs that are on the box next to Wilder School all feature animals in nature.

By putting these photographs on utility boxes, they become part of the community where they can be enjoyed by all who pass them, including those who might not otherwise engage with art in their daily lives. The project hopes to build community pride as people see the positive aspects of their neighborhood showcased on the street. It is also a way to support the endeavors of local artists and photographers from within the community.

Locations*:

• Bicycle Racks
• All
• Wish Well