Years: 2021
KCCI’s 2021 Access Art TLH Community Catalyst class helped generate more than 50 permanent outdoor art pieces in public spaces by expanding KCCI’s Art of the Box project throughout the city and county, as well as spearheading the creation of several community art projects. Public art increases community engagement, improves mental health and encourages social cohesion.
Following are highlights of the 2021 team successes.
Art of the Box
Art of the Box provides a variety of benefits including economic opportunity and marketing for local artists while showcasing the diversity of talent we have in Leon County. Since September 2020, KCCI has helped bring nearly 50 new artistic boxes to locations across Leon County. Read more details and download walking or driving tours for select boxes below by visiting the ArtofTheBox.org.
Placemaking Week 2021: Activating Spaces | Placemaking | Beautification | Legacy Building
Working with community partners, KCCI’s Catalyst team organized an engaging week of hands-on community building and innovative social events. Hundreds of community members joined KCCI Catalysts to leave a public space legacy at the downtown library, paint the new Greetings from TLH mural in Market District and create an enhanced sense of place in Tallahassee. Click here to learn more!
As part of Placemaking Week activities that were spearheaded by KCCI, the Greetings from TLH mural was created.
9/11 Memorial at Florida’s Capital City
To create more outdoor public art, KCCI’s team is helping with Leon County’s first 9/11 memorial. The 9/11 Memorial at Florida’s Capital City is being constructed at the American Red Cross headquarters and features a segment of beam salvaged from the south beam of the World Trade Center following the attacks on September 11, 2001. The KCCI 2021 Catalyst Team is helping with site planning and local government approvals. This artistic memorial will provide a place to honor the 9/11 victims and heroes while also reflecting on the events from that day. Click here to read the press release announcing the memorial, which includes an artist rendering and photos from the event that took place on September 8, 2021.
Project History & Highlights
The Art of the Box concept was piloted in fall 2020 and converted graffiti-covered boxes into works of art, while still maintaining the functionality of the boxes. It was a collaboration between KCCI, City of Tallahassee, Leon County Government, COCA, Fast Signs and Taproot Creative. Due to the popularity of the pilot project, KCCI established a volunteer Community Catalyst team to implement ways for expansion, which resulted in the continued Leon County Government partnership, Downtown Improvement Authority adding more boxes downtown, and the City of Tallahassee establishing the Artful Infrastructure Program that provides a sustainable path forward for getting more boxes transformed and maintained in Tallahassee.
The 2021 Access Art TLH Community Catalyst team has been busy since the January kickoff, making great progress toward showcasing local artwork throughout the community. A few highlights:
- Thanks to the support of Leon County Government, the Art of the Box project continues to expand. Five additional utility boxes are showcased at libraries and public spaces with local artwork. Five artists based in Leon County were selected through a free online application process to convert utility boxes at five locations into three-dimensional artwork. The artists’ artwork will be placed on weather-resistant vinyl that will wrap the boxes, and each artist will receive a stipend. The new locations include:
- a series of boxes at the Leroy Collins Leon County Main Public Library.
- a series of boxes at the Leon County Courthouse.
- a box at the Woodville Branch Library.
- a box near the entrance of Apalachee Regional Park.
- a box at the Leon County Northeast Branch Library.
Click here for more details.
- After working closely with members of the Catalyst team, the Tallahassee the City Commission adopted a new program for Artful Infrastructure, committing $22,000 to wrap traffic control boxes around Tallahassee with local art. Those looking to sponsor a future artistic box can visit the City’s Artful Infrastructure page. KCCI’s Art Access TLH 2021 Community Catalyst team was thrilled to see the Art of the Box project expanded with this program, as it improves art accessibility and showcases local artists in public spaces.
- Catalysts facilitated the first box showcasing student artwork. The team worked with the City of Tallahassee to unveil a new artistic box on April 13 at the intersection at Maclay and Meridian Road, which is wrapped in art by Maclay student Olivia Schroeder. Chris and Susanne Dudley sponsored the box in coordination with the City of Tallahassee and KCCI. Learn More
- The Community Catalyst team has established partnership opportunities with Leon County Title 1 Schools to create iconic art installments at Nims Middle School. To learn more about the Nims murals, click here.
- The 2021 KCCI Community Catalyst team has researched ways to generate more local art in the community with the expansion of the Art of the Box and identifying other opportunities. The team looks forward to serving as a “catalyst” between private partners and government partners to ensure there is a collaborative effort to promote and generate more art in public spaces.
Community Catalysts
These are the people who helped make this project possible.
- Joey Arellano, Florida House of Representatives
- Scott Balog, Tallahassee Community College
- Erika Branchcomb, Florida League of Cities
- Cyrus Calhoun III, Trulieve
- Shannon Colavecchio, The Moore Agency
- Nipa Eason, SalterMitchell PR
- Talethia Edwards, Department of Health
- Khari James, State Attorney’s Office, 2nd Judicial Circuit
- Tyler Maldonado, Florida Department of Environmental Protection
- Marie Moyle, U.S. Attorney’s Office
- Alessandria (Ali) Palmer, Kimley-Horn
- Aaron Redda, Florida Public Service Commission and USF
- Daniel Taylor, Daniel Taylor Consulting, Inc.