At its meeting of February 18, the Sonoma City Council will review a recommendation of the city’s Cultural and Fine Arts Commission to improve the appearance of a number of large utility boxes by wrapping them in vinyl artwork by local artists. The staff report on the proposal is shown below.
The Cultural and Fine Arts Commission (CFAC) has long expressed interest in implementing public-facing art initiatives for the Sonoma community. The commission initially discussed the concept of a utility box artwork project in 2022 and began initial steps to create a framework for a pilot program in 2024. The Utility Box Art Wrap Pilot Program is the City’s first initiative using vinyl-wrapped artwork on public utility boxes to help beautify infrastructure, support local artists, and enhance community identity. The pilot program was designed to be scalable and manageable, enabling staff and the CFAC to test administrative processes ahead of potential future public art program expansion.
With the adoption of the updated Public Art Policy and Procedures by City Council on November 26, 2024, the CFAC was provided authority to recommend utilization of Public Art Funds to support temporary art installations. Following adoption of the policy, the CFAC formed an ad hoc committee to identify potential utility box locations, initiate cost estimates, and formulate an application process for artists to submit proposed artwork. During the summer of 2025, staff and the ad hoc committee initiated a call for artists which received design proposals from 16 artists, showcasing strong representation from Sonoma Valley and a strong interest in creative projects. The committee initially reviewed the submissions and began to work on determining which designs would not only be a good fit artistically but also transfer well onto the various utility boxes. Through this process, staff recognized that creating templates and installation services would require the support of a professional design and installation company.
On September 17, 2025, City Council approved a resolution authorizing staff to enter into a professional services agreement with a wrap manufacturer and installer, Fast Signs. Following council approval, Fast Signs and City staff collaborated to complete site-specific measurements and templates to accompany the selected artwork.
Discussion:
The ad hoc committee reconvened in late 2025 to finalize their recommendation for commission and council consideration. A key component to determining which artwork should be placed in specific locations came down to the various dimensions of each utility box and ensuring the selected design would transfer in a way that featured the art prominently and kept the integrity of the original artwork intact. If this program continues in the future, staff and the CFAC recommend providing templates as part of the initial call for art, which would allow artists to tailor their submitted designs to specific locations.
While a difficult task to narrow down the creative field of submissions, staff and the CFAC recommend moving forward with a pilot program showcasing artwork from following artists and accompanying locations:
- Misha Cittadini – 2nd Street West and West Napa Street
- Alex Cole – 617 Broadway
- Judah and Silas Herrera – Broadway and Patten Street
- Jonny Hirschmugl – 5th Street West and West Napa Street
- Veronica Napoles – 19 West Napa Street
The Cultural and Fine Arts Commission reviewed the selected artworks during their February 10 meeting and provided unanimous support to move the designs forward to City Council for their consideration. Should the Council concur with recommended designs, the installation process will move forward in Spring 2026.
As this is part of a pilot and test program, the length of the installation has not been specifically defined. A common length of time for installations of this nature is three to five years, but varies based on location, exposure to the elements, and community interaction. Staff is proposing reviewing the status of the wraps after a 12-month period.
To see examples of the proposed wraps, CLICK HERE
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