Kit Humbarger
Features Editor
If you go to the corner of Meadows and Artesia Blvd, you will find a utility box that has been decorated from head to toe with beautiful designs. This incredible transformation of a once boring box is all thanks to senior Ilana Buholzer’s artistic efforts.
When Ilana first saw the promotion for the Manhattan Beach Utility Box Beautification Program, she knew that she wanted to join the fun. She created and submitted her original drawings, and the committee picked one to be used on a local utility box.
The Utility Box Beautification Program aims to have local artists decorate traffic control utility boxes with their original work. According to Buholzer, she got involved with the program because “it was an opportunity to help add some flair and beautify our town.”
Buholzer’s design process for the utility box was long and tedious, but worth it for the end results.
“I started with a rough draft or sketch first, and then I decided whether to move it to digital or keep it on paper. Afterwards I have to check each of the images to make sure they line up well to be put next to one another,” she said. I [had to] repeatedly edit and touch up certain parts of my artwork [because] it was important that it fit certain parameters for the utility box.
“My favorite part [of this process] was definitely collaborating with the design team to find solutions that wouldn’t alter my original concept.”
Senior Ilana Buholzer entered the Manhattan Beach Utility Box Beautification Project, a contest for designing artwork to decorate utility boxes around Manhattan Beach.
Over the summer, she created and submitted her original designs, and the committee picked one to be used on a local utility box.
“I got involved because it was an opportunity to help at some flare and beautify our town- and make the utility boxes less boring,” said Buholzer. “I have only done 1 utility box so far, right in front of the Costa tennis courts on Meadows and Artesia Blvd.”
According to Buholzer, the creative process is long and tedious, as there are lots of small pieces that have to add up for the artwork to mold to the utility box.
“I start with a rough draft or sketch first, and then I decide whether to move it to digital or keep it on paper. Afterwards I have to check each of the images to make sure they line up well to be put next to one another.”
According to Buholzer, this project was a super fun way to connect with her community and add some beautiful artwork to the streets of Manhattan Beach.
“My favorite part was definitely collaborating with the design team to find solutions that wouldn’t alter my original concept,” said Buholzer. “The actual process of creating the artwork with my pencil was a lot of fun as well.”
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