Lacey honors local history through utility box wrap program 

Local history is now visible on street corners across Lacey after the city completed the first phase of a public art program featuring original artwork by young artists on traffic control boxes. 

The first phase was celebrated during a Lacey City Council meeting on Tuesday, May 5. Several of the community figures whom the works depict were in attendance. 

The utility box wrap program, authorized under Lacey's six-year public art plan and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Strategic Plan, turns city-owned traffic control boxes into public installations honoring local history. 

Seven artists, the youngest being 10 years old, produced six wraps paying tribute to individuals and organizations who have made a significant impact in Lacey. 

Among the honorees were Gene Liddell, recognized as the first Filipina mayor of any city in the United States, and Nat and Thelma Jackson, longtime racial equity advocates in Thurston County. All of them attended the May 5 meeting. 

Mayor Andy Ryder praised the artists during the session, telling them their work exemplified what individual, unique pieces of art mean to the city.

"I absolutely love art," he said. "I think art is a part of what makes your community special. It brings people from all different walks of life together." 

Ryder added that the presence of Liddell and the Jacksons at the meeting was beyond an honor. 

"We would not be the community we are today without these individuals," he said. "It absolutely warms my heart to see your art out here in Lacey and for you to receive the due praise you deserve." 

Program expansion 

The program is funded through Resolution 1105, which sets aside $1 per capita allocation for public art, and Ordinance 1102, which designates a percentage of qualifying city project budgets toward the same end. 

Phase I launched in July 2023 with a formal solicitation targeting professional artists. It drew only two submissions. City staffers then pivoted in February 2024, issuing a youth-focused call that produced 13 submissions across six of 15 available themes. 

The Commission on Equity, the Historical Commission and Lacey Youth Council reviewed submissions before the council approved final selections on Sept. 3, 2024. 

Cold weather, however, stalled installation through the winter months. All six wraps are now up throughout Lacey, placed close to locations connected to their subjects. 

With Phase I complete, the city is moving into a second cycle set to open in October. The submission window runs approximately 10 weeks through December. 

Installations for the second cycle are planned for spring or early summer to avoid another weather delay. Themes that received no submissions in Phase I will be brought forward into the next round, according to Lacey Management Analyst Sadie Siglin. 

To explore the program further, the boxes feature QR codes linking to artist profiles and historical research at the city’s public art page.