Peace - Rochester, NY - Artistically Decorated Utility Boxes on Waymarking.com

In early 2010, Barbara, a resident of the Maplewood Neighborhood in Rochester, New York secured a grant to paint over a traffic control box opposite #7 School that was often targeted with graffiti. She wanted a message of peace. Through a mutual friend, Bernadette Weider, Barbara contacted local artist, Sally Steinwachs.

Sally developed two designs. Sally met with art students from #7 elementary school who brainstormed symbols that communicated peace. In addition, each student painted a small, 4-sided paper model with these symbols.

One of the young students, J'son died while saving his cousins from drowning within a week of his painting his model. It was reported in the local newspaper that he kept a journal of his hopes and dreams for the future. Sally combined some of the symbols the students presented, including a rose that J'son had used in his model, and a journal into Design 1.

Sally was required to submit a second design. Maplewood neighborhood residents voted on line and at public meetings for their favorite design.

The design Sally developed from the students' ideas won by a small margin. The design was modified from the original slightly because Monroe County (owner of the utility box) did not want any words on the box.

The finished box uses a traditional dove and olive branch to symbolize peace. The background is a large sun and blue sky and clouds, similar to one of the student's original models. As Sally was painting the rays of the sun, she noticed that some of the rays resembled feathers. This resonated with her in that her parish had recently closed and she was now a part of a new parish, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, named after a Native American who converted to Catholicism a few hundred years ago.

Below these symbols, Sally painted an open journal with a rose on the left and a butterfly on the right to remember J'son and to symbolize love and forgiveness and new life. The rose also represents a public rose garden in the neighborhood, the Maplewood Rose Garden, which is depicted on the accompanied Google map. The neighborhood and City sponsor a big rose festival every June.

The journal is resting on the lower falls of the Genesee River, a natural highlight within this urban neighborhood. You can see the waterfalls, cliff, river and trees on the box. The natural environment is a source of serenity as well as history in a neighborhood where Sally herself lived almost 30 years.

Name of Artist: Sally Steinwachs Title of the Art: Peace Year Decorated: October, 2010

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