About the art
David Spear’s traffic box retired in 2021 due to maintenance needs and new equipment installed by Public Works department.
Each year the City of Columbia, Missouri invites local artists to apply for a public art project to create art on traffic signal boxes in the downtown area. The goal of the project is to decrease the instances of graffiti on these surfaces while making them artful objects. Once addressed by artists, the traffic signal boxes have proven to be very resistant to graffiti and vandalism and contribute significantly to the vitality and attractiveness of the streetscape.