Local artist Jason Jones works to begin painting a mural on a utility box located on the north side of the downtown square.
Photos by Todd Gill, Flyer staff
A plan to add a little extra beauty to downtown Fayetteville is underway.
Local artist Jason Jones this week began work on a series of murals designed to cover many of the metal utility boxes that stand as eyesores throughout the landscaped gardens on the downtown square.
The Parks and Recreation Department commissioned Jones for the project last year following an idea from city horticulturist Roxanne Worthy, whose crew works to maintain the natural living landscape around the square.
“I had seen some electrical boxes painted in Colorado, and I thought that would be fun to do on our square,” Worthy said. “The boxes aren’t really pretty, and we’re always trying to hide them.”
Jones said he wanted a design that would cover up the boxes, but that wouldn’t take away from the beauty of the garden once it’s in full bloom.
“I wanted something with some earthy colors, that didn’t compete with the awesome landscape up there,” Jones told us in December.
As of Thursday, Jones had completed two smaller paintings – a ladybug and a dragonfly – and was working on the backgrounds for a butterfly and a caterpillar on boxes on the north side of the square.
He said he hoped the paintings of friendly insects could add an educational bonus to the extra color he’s adding to the downtown area.
Weather permitting, Jones plans to complete several more paintings this year, including some on the larger boxes on the south side of the square.
