by Amari B. Harrison
Thanks to the Wayland Cultural Council (WCC), public artwork is becoming more prominent in our community. The WCC’s Utility Box Project, funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, has resulted in seven original murals around town.
In 2022, WCC first sought artists’ proposals on the theme of “Nature.” Among many applicants, they found Bryan Clocker, a Boston area printmaker and illustrator, who painted swallows in flight and a crane perched among cattails on the utility box in front of Fire Station 2 in Cochituate. Nayda Cuevas, a Puerto Rican artist based in Boston, also painted a mural in 2022 near the library on a utility box that has since been replaced. Her mural featured a woman with long hair and closed eyes, immersed in a flowery mountainside landscape. Only a small piece of her work remains on the electric meter casing.
Nora Rothschild, a former WCC member who helped with the project, loves how art brought the community together. “We used grant money from the Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund; we worked with the Select Board to get approvals; the Department of Public Works cleaned the utility boxes for us; the Chief of Police made sure our artists could work safely. Everyone was so helpful.” And the community response was positive.
WCC continued the project with “Nature and Community” as their 2023 theme, selecting only artists who lived in Wayland. Rahul Ray painted the box at the intersection of Rt. 27 and Old Connecticut Path with the vibrant colors of Wayland’s fall landscapes. Alyssa Ao, a Wayland High School student, painted bold abstractions of students, plants, and animals around campus on the box in front of WHS. Jill Lerner’s mural in front of Middlesex Bank at Rt. 27 and 30 depicts the pond, trees, and wildlife near her home.
For 2024, the theme was “Unity and Peace.” Raksha Soni’s mural at Rt. 30 and Rice Rd. symbolizes spiritual peace among community members. Eva Chausse, a current sophomore at WHS, painted koi fish and a lotus blossom as a representation of communal peace on the box near Cochituate Fields at Pemberton Rd. and West Plain St.
WCC’s theme for 2025 is “Youth Transforming Communities” and a new call for artists is underway! The submission deadline is April 6th. If you want to be part of the WCC’s ongoing creative movement, contact wccmembers@wayland.ma.us for more information.
