08/12/2022
Lately I have been interviewing artists and people associated with the ZAP and AMP projects around town. Here is the article I wrote about it.
SHOCKING MURALS
If one travels the streets and neighborhoods of Las Vegas, it will only be a matter of time before the traveler will come across a delightfully decorated traffic signal control box. The boxes are actually mini-murals and are strategically placed in specific areas and zones. Their main functions are to help in the reduction of graffiti and to beautify the city.
There are two agencies involved in these projects. The Clark County Parks and Recreation Department (ZAP Outreach) and the City of Las Vegas Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs (AMP Program). For both titles think “ELECTRICITY”. The last ZAP project was ZAP 11 in the spring of this year. This was out of order because ZAP 12 had already been completed. The most recent AMP project consisted of Ward three and Ward five, also finishing up in the early summer. This resulted in over 250 boxes completed and involved 25 artists.
Interestingly, this has been going on since 2005 and to date involves two separate publicly funded programs. Combined the two projects involve over 50 artists both amateur and professional and has resulted in a huge amount of boxes being painted. Nobody can give an exact amount but it appears that each program is approaching or has exceeded 300 boxes each. The murals are intended to be permanent and last for a minimum of five years.
When speaking with the artists one thing immediately comes to light. This is a very popular exhibit with the people of Las Vegas and visitors alike. The artists talk about how people honk at them as they drive by while painting. Windows come down and people give “high fives” and shout out “great job”, “awesome!”, and “Thank you!”. Some people stop to chat and ask questions. Comments are always very positive, and the locals say they love to watch as the progress occurs. In many cases, the artist is actually from the neighborhood they are working in.
In interviewing random people about the boxes, the first question asked is, “Have you seen the painted signal boxes around town?” Everyone asked this question answers in the positive and has a comment. I have heard “Who hasn't?”, “Of course”, “Yes, they are hard to miss”, and “Yup, they are interesting and fun to see.”
One of the artists interviewed was Amiko Doman. She stated that she only uses a specific brand of paint and that she actually adds her own pigments, which create lightness and fastness to the base, and which she claims creates a lifespan of over 20 years for her work. The trick is to come up with a paint that will survive in the Las Vegas valley environment. This same artist also adds an overlay of a clear enamel of some sort (trade secret!), to create a graffiti blocking buffer. This works but once the blocker has been tagged and the graffiti is removed, the blocker must be reapplied or the next time the graffiti will stick.
All of the artists interviewed agreed that the work is dirty, messy and noisy. Busses, cars and trucks whirl by 25” away and the traffic is constant. It is also not without its dangers working so close to traffic. Cara Wood Ginder was working on a box with her daughter. They had finished that box one evening and had packed up and gone home. A short while later they were informed that a drunk driver had hit the box they had just finished and totally wiped it out!
While doing a photo shoot with Amiko a car stopped and the man rolled down his window. He was hollering (traffic noise) about how much he enjoyed and liked the boxes. He wanted to stay longer, but when the light turned green, motorists behind him started honking so he moved along. He did however, quickly pose for a portrait before leaving.
Sometimes pedestrians want to get by the artist on the sidewalk and some of them have little patience, yelling at the artist to get out of the way. Another artist interviewed, Don Michael Jr. was asked if he had ever experienced any kind of hostility or confrontation from the people in the area they worked. He stated that one time, while working on a box that was pretty much in continuous shade, a homeless person threw something in his general direction. When he looked, he couldn't tell what it was, but the message seemed to be that the artist was invading that person's space. There wasn't any aggressiveness, just a heads up kind of message. The artist took it as a “hey, that's my spot” kind of gesture.
Don has a series of feline themed boxes titled “Feline Sentinels of Ward 5”. These boxes are very striking and bold. While doing a photo shoot with Don, two drivers rolled down their windows and shouted compliments. He related that while he was painting one box two locals approached him and asked him why he was covering the boxes. He had prepped these the day before. He told them he was finishing the job and they were concerned that he was going to “mess up” the work he had done before. Apparently, they thought the box was done. To him, they seemed to be very happy that he was finishing up.
One interesting factoid about Don's boxes is that he paints a puzzle piece on the backside of each box. These pieces represent a missing piece of his life. Don related to me that he had lost his son to illness several years before, and that the puzzle pieces are like a small piece of his heart.
In order to qualify for either program, artists must submit an application for a specific call out. An audition occurs where the artists supply some samples and a prototype for the panel, along with an interview. Selections are then made and boxes are assigned. The number and quantity are varied and decided by the funding made available. Artists can be professional or amateur, local or out of area. Each person receives an equal chance at an opportunity of being selected. A panel of 3-5 judges are assembled and they meet to make the final choice of who will proceed.
While doing a photo shoot with first time AMP artist Darvianna Major I asked her what her inspiration was for her boxes. She told me that because her boxes were in a part of town with lots of homeless black women she wanted to let them know that they had value and that are seen, and beautiful. Her boxes are entitled JOY, LOVE, HOPE and PEACE.
The last artist interviewed for this article was Vanessa Maciel. Her boxes are Mexican themed and she used the Mexican mythical creature Alebrije as her inspiration. Her boxes are highly colorful and bright. The creature Alebrije is seen mostly during “Day of the Dead” celebrations around her country, and her paintings are her own creation and rendition of this fabled animal.
Each project involves a specific area and there is a process in place to help with the choice. A recent project decorated boxes up on Mt. Charleston. The next AMP project will involve an area of the Blue Diamond part of southwest Las Vegas, probably beginning in early fall when the temperatures come down a bit. There will be 12 new boxes available. Each artist will receive a payment of $1200 per box. The artist recieves half in advance and half upon completion. One requirement is the grafitti resistant coating that must be used to cover the murals. The county maintains these boxes for a period of five years.
