People love to complain about public art, but an installation in Emeryville, CA is almost universally loved. One expert says, 'It creates something that is thought-provoking. It isn't just decorative.'
"It's getting harder to be noticed in the bulging, big tent of public art, but a project in tiny Emeryville (population 6,882) is causing heads to swivel.
All around the East Bay city, normally unnoticed utility boxes on sidewalks near traffic lights have been reborn as eye-grabbing, head-scratching works of art.
The materials and design are simple: a black stick figure on a yellow background, the same character commonly seen on road signs.
But this figure is doing odd things. At one intersection, he's juggling three heads. In front of City Hall, he's kneeling and tending a giant question mark. A few blocks away, he's tightrope-walking on a Möbius strip.
"I try to make the art more friendly and accessible and welcoming," said Oakland-based conceptual artist Seyed Alavi, who came up with the idea in a city competition for unleashing the aesthetic potential of the large metal boxes that contain controls for stoplights.
Titled "Signs of the Times," the project was named Best Pedestrian-Puzzling Public Art in a best-of-the-East-Bay feature in the current issue of Oakland magazine.
The Iranian-born Alavi, 49, who holds a master's in fine arts from the San Francisco Art Institute, said he wanted to install "something that would give you a moment to laugh and a moment to reflect."
FULL STORY: Artist's electrifying canvas in Emeryville

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie