WORCESTER—Trash can be pretty, on the outside. At least some of it is now throughout Worcester. Thirty-seven once-overlooked utility boxes across Worcester now serve as colorful landmarks in the city’s public art landscape, thanks to the launch of the new WooBox Art Project.
Unveiled Thursday by the city’s Cultural Development Division in partnership with the Worcester Cultural Coalition and the Department of Transportation and Mobility, the initiative is part of a broader effort to celebrate Worcester’s diversity and invest in its creative economy.
Each mini-mural was designed by a local artist or organization, selected through a public call in April 2024 that invited submissions around the theme of “Worcester’s Rich and Diverse Community.” Selected artists received a $750 honorarium per design. The winning pieces were printed on graffiti-resistant wraps and installed on utility boxes throughout the city.“
Through the WooBox Art Project, we’ve created 37 new reasons to walk through Worcester with curiosity and pride,” said Cultural Development Officer Fabian Barracks in the announcement. “This is just the beginning. We hope to continue this project through additional rounds until we’ve added public art to every utility box in the city.”
The artwork was reviewed by a panel of local cultural leaders, including Juliet Feibel of ArtsWorcester, architect Penn Ruderman, and Ché Anderson of UMass Chan Medical School.
Five of the boxes are located near City Hall and pay tribute to Worcester’s poet laureates. Each installation also features a QR code linking to an online map with artist bios and the story behind each design.
“It was stunning to see the variety of artists and approaches to transform mundane utility boxes into something special,” said Ruderman. “I hope it serves as inspiration for more members of the community to go for it in the next round.”
Residents and visitors are encouraged to find and share the murals on social media—and to help protect them. “These pieces belong to all of us,” Barracks added. “Let’s take pride in them and do our part to preserve their beauty.”
A digital art map of the WooBox locations and artist information is available right here.
Have news, tips, or a story worth telling? Reach Editor Charlene Arsenault at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org—because good stories (and great scoops) deserve to be shared.
