What might be considered an eyesore to some people is now a thing of beauty in downtown Sioux Falls thanks to some very talented area artists.

Earlier this year the Sioux Falls Arts Council put out a call asking for artists to submit their design ideas for a unique project that would help to beautify the downtown Sioux Falls area. The hope was to get several creative designs that could be used to help cover up 26 different signal control boxes located throughout the downtown portion of the city.

The call was heard beyond the arts council's wildest expectations.

They ended up receiving over 150 submissions of original artwork from traditional and nontraditional artists alike.

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As Pigeon 605 reports, ultimately forty-six artists had their work chosen. There were so many great creative designs submitted that a few of the signal control boxes covered contain the artwork from multiple artists.

In the end, 26 different utility boxes between Sixth and 14th streets from Minnesota Avenue to just east of Phillips Avenue are now wrapped in durable, graffiti-proof vinyl that will last for years to come. This new collection of artwork joins a variety of other murals and of course, the ever-popular SculptureWalk that are already fixtures on the streets of downtown Sioux Falls.

Pigeon 605 delves deeper into the artwork used and the artists who made it.

The stories behind these various artists are as unique as the art itself. For example, one piece of artwork that was chosen is from a 5th-grade student at Discovery Elementary who submitted a design she had created for a school project. Another submission used came from an artist who is native to Guatemala and has now been living in Sioux Falls for the past 12 years.

I highly encourage you to read the Pigeon 605 article to get the backstory on a number of these very talented individuals.

And the next time you venture to downtown Sioux Falls, make it a point to check out all the beautiful new additions to the Sioux Falls streets in that area. Be sure to bring along your phone to scan the QR codes on each work of art to learn more about the design and the artists who made them.

Source: Pigeon 605