The utility cabinets that dot North Vancouver's urban landscape don't have much visual allure but, thanks to some creative local youth, several of these dull metal boxes have been transformed into colourful works of art.
As part of its anti-graffiti program, the North Vancouver RCMP last year partnered with the City and District of North Vancouver on an art contest. Various utility boxes in the area had recently been tagged with graffiti and, to deter further eyesores, elementary and high school students in North Vancouver were invited to submit a drawing or painting depicting their favourite local scene.
Last June, a panel of judges picked 12 winners from the 389 entries received. Six artworks were selected for the city and six for the district. The winning pieces were enlarged and have since been wrapped around various utility boxes in North Vancouver.
The winners for the city are Kailey Magrath (Larson elementary), Franek Witkowski (Alcuin College), Nikou Moradi (Sutherland secondary), Juan Diego Melhado (Sherwood Park elementary), Sarah Duggan (Carson Graham secondary) and Emma Duggan (Carson Graham secondary).
The winners for the district are Julia Mamen (Cleveland elementary), Natalie De Guzman (Larson elementary), Darren Soberano (St. Edmunds elementary), Megan Harris (Lions Gate Christian Academy), Ryan Baker (Sherwood Park elementary) and Antonina Kubacki (Alcuin College).
Funding for the project was provided by the North Vancouver RCMP through a grant application for antigraffiti initiatives. Both the city and district also paid for the art installations.
