Wellesley’s traffic box art program, which decorates local intersections across the town, has received a new $5,000 grant from the Al Robinson Fund for the Arts to help it support more artists.
The art program, which was the “brainchild” of Wellesley Police Chief Jack Pilecki and began in 2020, has included 14 traffic boxes that have been decorated by local artists.
The effort is overseen by the Wellesley Public Art Committee and the Wellesley Police Department, and includes support from the Robinson fund and the Wellesley Cultural Council.
“The boxes spark conversations – we all have our favorites – and are enjoyed by drivers and pedestrians alike,” Pilecki said in a statement.
Participating artists are chosen through an application process and receive a stipend for their creations. They have included high school and college students, professional painters, and a Wellesley College art professor.
The Al Robinson Fund for the Arts is named for Albert S. Robinson, who served as Wellesley’s town counsel for nearly 40 years. It is a grant program of the Community Fund for Wellesley.
Grants from the Robinson fund “specifically support artistic expression for the enrichment of the Wellesley community,” the statement said.
Mike Stephens, the chairman of the Community Fund for Wellesley, said: “We’re proud to be part of this fantastic public art project that showcases the work of local artists and brightens the day of everyone in the community when they see each of these boxes.”
More information about the program can be found on the town’s website at wellesleyma.gov.
John Hilliard can be reached at john.hilliard@globe.com or on Signal at john_hilliard.70. Follow him on Bluesky at iamjohnhilliard.bsky.social.