Artists Begin Transformation of Maplewood Electrical Boxes

Five large electrical boxes along Manchester Road, from Sutton Boulevard to Bellevue Avenue, will be transformed from utility gray to colorful colages over the next few weeks. The official unveiling of the boxes will be a part of on July 8.

Firecracker Press was represented by Maplewood City Council, Design and Review Board, Parks Board, Maplewood Community Betterment Foundation and the Special Business District Commission.

Matty Kleinberg, the Firecracker Press store manager, said the ideas for the boxes came more from familiarity than research.

"We live in the city but we play in Maplewood," he said.

He and Holly Childress, an intern, were at the box at Manchester and Sutton on Wednesday, where they started a design that will be painted later.

The five boxes will have five themes:

• Neighborhood and Community — Maplewood's mix of city and residential
• Cultural Crossroads — The Route 66 crossroads, as well as the cultural diversity in Maplewood now
• Fairs and Festivals — Open air art, festivals and parties
• Business and Commerce — A blacksmith represents a Maplewood founder, James Sutton
• Entertainment and Nightlife — Across from , representing entertainment