HARRISONBURG, Va. (Rocktown Now) – Recent visitors to Downtown Harrisonburg may have noticed some new lively colors along sidewalks, as the city has found a unique way to display local artwork while brightening necessary traffic features at various intersections.

Ten Harrisonburg Public Works traffic cabinets have been transformed into pieces of art, displaying the works of local artists in the form of vinyl wraps. Artists were selected by a committee consisting of City staff and representatives from the Arts Council of the Valley and Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance (HDR), who reviewed applications from artists and worked to ensure their art could be installed on the cabinets.

“The installation of public art plays a key role in building community connectivity and creating a sense of place,” Harrisonburg Deputy City Manager Amy Snider, who helped spur the project forward, said. “Through collaboration with the Arts Council and HDR, the city was able to highlight local artists’ work, adding vibrant color to our intersections while creating a beautiful place that our community shares and is proud of.”

Traffic cabinet covered in vinyl wrap of a large pink butterfly with a blue and purple background.
A piece of art at South Main Street and West Water Street designed by Lana Lambert.

 

Selected artists and their cabinet locations include:
• Gay Street & North Main Street – Artist Bryan Luna
• North Mason Street & Gay Street – Artist Katie Cousins
• Wolfe Street & North Main Street – Rebecca Gish
• Wolfe Street & North Mason Street – Alex Dorney
• North Main Street & Elizabeth Street – Jennifer Cottrell
• Elizabeth Street & North Mason Street – Rachel Bryan
• Court Square and North Main Street – Rosa Cruz
• East Market Street & North Mason Street – Ver Ikeseh
• South Main Street and West Water Street – Lana Lambert
• South Main Street and Bruce Street – Melissa Huryk

“We have enjoyed seeing the response so far from the public and are excited to see collaboration in the city to make this happen for our community,” Harrisonburg Public Works Director Tom Hartman said. “Our standard traffic cabinets that are a necessary component of signalized intersections now have multiple purposes. Typically, the cabinets enable our traffic signals to function properly and now they showcase local artists work, highlight Harrisonburg’s natural surroundings and culture, and make our streets stand out! We were very pleased to take part in this unique beautification and community-building project.”

The city will be taking steps in the near future to highlight the artists behind the work through social media platforms and City websites. The project committee also will find ways to highlight the cabinets to community members and visitors through photo opportunities, mapping of cabinet art locations and more.

The city is planning for a second round of traffic cabinet artwork to be displayed on nine additional traffic cabinet locations in 2028. A call for artists for this project will take place at a later date.