56 SPRING 2021 | WWW.SHAKER.LIFE
There’s a bit of whimsy spreading through Shaker Heights.
At Kenyon Road and Chagrin Boulevard, wide-mouthed cats howl at the stars.
Up the street on Chagrin at Palmerston Road, a whirlwind of identifiable flying
objects – including Elvis, Superman, and a winged pig – soar through the air.
And near the Main Library, ducks and frogs catch up with their favorite books.
The magical scenes are part of a campaign by the Shaker Arts Council to
convert the City’s drab metal utility boxes – the ones that house traffic light
timing controls – into showcases for local artists. So far, the non-profit group has
decorated 13 boxes and has plans to transform at least six more in 2021.
What started four years ago as a high school senior project idea has
morphed into a design competition open to artists who work or reside in
Shaker Heights. The winners are chosen by a Shaker Arts Council jury and then
approved by the City’s Public Art Task Force.
The designs are transferred to vinyl wraps and installed on the boxes by
Diamond Signs & Graphics in Warrensville Heights. The project is partially
funded by a Cuyahoga Arts & Culture grant.
“Public art creates a sense of place, a sense of identity for our community,”
says City Planning Director Joyce Braverman. The utility box program “is
whimsical, unexpected, and can bring a smile to your face.”
Renee Parker Boyle, a graphic designer and Shaker resident, has had two
winning designs so far: the aforementioned “Come Fly with Me” starring Elvis
and friends, and “Carousel,” which features an old fashioned carnival ride and
harkens to the Lake County Fair.
“I loved those summer nights at dusk and how everything looked on the
midway,” says Parker Boyle. “The design makes me feel like I’m back there as a
kid again.”
Scene
in Shaker
ANIMALS
IN
LOVE
AND
A
FLYING
ELVIS
By Joe Miller
Photography by Shaker Arts Council
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