The City of Malibu Cultural Arts Commission selected three artists to paint one-of-a-kind artwork on four City-owned utility boxes in the Civic Center area as part of the City’s public art initiative. The artists will begin their work in late September and are expected to complete the project by November 2019.
“Malibu has always been a haven for artists and artistic activity, so this new public art project is a perfect fit for our community,” said Mayor Jefferson “Zuma Jay” Wagner. “I look forward to seeing all of these colorful public art pieces made by locals that will brighten up our town.”
By creatively transforming a typically mundane structure into a work of art, the painted utility boxes will broaden each viewer’s understanding of the Malibu culture or environment. The selected designs vary from modern, geometric art to bright collage pop-art to realistic ocean scenery.
The professional artists who were selected to complete the project and the locations are:
Shannon Celia, Civic Center Way and Winter Canyon Road. Celia will create a box that represents Malibu’s surf life and scenic landscape. Her artwork will include surfboards, seagulls, waves and the coast.
Mark Andrew Allen, Civic Center Way and Webb Way; and Civic Center Way and Malibu Canyon Road. Allen will paint two boxes in the Civic Center area which will include replications of iconic Malibu images such as the Malibu Pier, Highway 1 sign, surfboards, and other images in a bright, pop-art collage style.
Flavia Monteiro, Civic Center Way and Cross Creek Road. Monteiro will paint pastel geometric, three-dimensional squares that will offer a pop of contemporary art by the newly opened Whole Foods Market.
The Utility Art Box project will bring another element of public art to the City of Malibu and shows the City’s dedication to expanding the arts in the community. Additional information and photos of the artists’ progress will be posted at www.MalibuArtsandCulture.org beginning in late September.
Submitted by Matt Myerhoff, Malibu Media Information Officer
