Bland Bell Utility Boxes To Be Beautified With Murals

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Screen shot of a Bell Box Murals Project from essex.ca

This coming weekend in Essex, selected artists will be painting murals on up to eight Bell Canada outdoor utility boxes in the Essex Centre area.

The Seeds of Hope Foundation started the Bell Box Murals Project as a neighbourhood improvement initiative. Since 2009, it has painted murals on 48 Bell Canada utility boxes throughout Toronto. This year it has expanded the program to include Essex.

The history of Essex through different eras is the theme and local artists were asked to use when submitting a sketch to the project judges.

Mural Committee Chairperson Chris Gelinas is excited to have this opportunity to bring awareness to the Town’s mural program.

“The Bell Box Murals Project is an opportunity for us to add eight murals to our mural inventory all at once,” says Gelinas. “Plus it helps us to beautify the community in culturally and historically significant ways.”

In advance of Fun Fest weekend, Bell Canada will clean the utility boxes. On Friday, artists will use metal primer to prepare the surface. Mural painting will begin on Saturday morning. Once the murals are finished, they will be covered in a clear topcoat to help protect them from the elements.

Essex Centre currently has 13 murals in its outdoor mural gallery.