Utility Box Wraps in Mount Pleasant

Utility Box Wraps Project 2016

Courtesy of MPBIA in partnership with the City of Vancouver and Local Artists

In partnership with the City of Vancouver’s Integrated Graffiti Management Program, the MPBIA has chosen the work of 6 local artists to have original artwork installed on utility boxes scattered throughout the MPBIA. We are grateful for the City’s investment in public art in Mount Pleasant and look forward to a second round of this program in 2017.

SE Corner – Main & 10th

In the mid-90s in Mount Pleasant I had the fortune to live with a group of musician friends in one of two neighbouring houses with rehearsal spaces in their basements. Between these two houses, some 7 or 8 bands either lived and worked there and went on to become an integral part of the Vancouver music scene. I chose to commemorate this happy and significant period of my life on the utility box art at Main and 10th.

These days I am the mother of two children, a children’s illustrator with a client list that includes Simon & Schuster, National Geographic, Hallmark, Lerner, and Macmillan, a sports fan who loves playing both hockey and baseball, and of course, a musician making music with her friends.

Lisa Laird is a graphic designer, digital artist, and illustrator from Whistler B.C. She has been passionate about design since she was young. Growing up she was inspired by illustration in graphic animation, album covers, GIG posters and street art. Over the years she has used her designs to create graphics for murals, ad campaigns, snowboards, branding, album covers and more. Lisa currently resides in Vancouver, where she has worked in advertising and technology industries and worked as a freelance artist.

These days I am the mother of two children, a children’s illustrator with a client list that includes Simon & Schuster, National Geographic, Hallmark, Lerner, and Macmillan, a sports fan who loves playing both hockey and baseball, and of course, a musician making music with her friends.

SE Corner – Kingsway & 10th

Being trained in traditional Oriental watercolor painting, my present day artwork reflects many of the same techniques, and embodies its principles, composition. Although I am trying to push the art into different mediums, such as acrylics, I would very much like to adhere and continue to promote the traditional Oriental artwork in my own way and style. Experimenting with new paints has inspired me to push the ability of how my new pieces of artwork can be viewed. I want the viewer to be able to see new things can be revealed only when you step closer to the piece, view it from a different angle, in the dark, or when light is shined onto it.

SE Corner – Main & 14th

Sangito Bigelow is a young Vancouver based artist and musician. Artistically he creates album covers, murals, drawings, paintings and illustrations. His work is full of colour, pattern and geometry depicting psychadelic landscapes and highly styleized characters. Some work is black and white: extremely detailed drawings portraying skeletons dancing in the moonlight and playing instruments. Musically he specializes in Zimbabwean marimba, Afrocuban and West African hand percussion. His band Kutapira features all of these styles  intelligently selected and seamlessly blended in one fusion for which he composes and arranges many songs. His other group LoS DuendeS is a latin psychedelic fusion group that plays Cumbia, Latin Jazz and Latin House. This is a platform on which he has the opportunity to sing and play guitar as well as percussion.

NE Corner – Kingsway & 12

NE Corner – Kingsway & 12

Chilean architect with Master Degree from the University of British Columbia on Advanced Studies in Architecture. His research focuses on timber panel systems applied to mid-rise buildings. Currently he works at GBL Architects.

In addition to his professional development he has always been involved with various artistic expressions. Among his works he has not only experimented with graphic mediums but with installations that interact with public spaces. Besides Chile, his work has been exhibited in Vancouver, BC and Cleveland, OH.

In his projects there is a recurrent theme that combines the use of raw materials, such as timber, with animal figures raging from a more figurative to symbolic expression.