WESTBOROUGH – For years, I have photographed beautiful and unusual public art as my husband, Greg, and I travel around the country.
It’s everywhere these days. It can cover surfaces as large as water towers, grain silos and sides of buildings; to as small as utility boxes, exhaust pipes and sidewalk squares. All surfaces make wonderful and unusual canvases for the imagination of talented artists to cover.
I was thrilled when I recently saw that Westborough had two of our utility boxes painted, and I was eager to meet the artist.
Jill Strait was starting her work on the utility box at the lights near the entrance to Bay State Commons when we met. Though Strait was very busy finishing several projects before the end of the year and before the weather became too restrictive, we had the opportunity to chat recently about her work.
Tell us a bit about your background that led to this point.
Jill Strait: I grew up in Rutland, Massachusetts. I went to Framingham State College (now Framingham University) and received a BA in Painting & Art History. I also studied for many years at the Worcester Art Museum. My main art interests are painting musical instruments, and portraits of instruments for musicians & music lovers. I usually incorporate nature and patterns.
How did you get started in public art? How long have you been doing this?
JS: I started painting murals with Girl Scouts working on their Drawing and Painting badges, when I taught art at Danforth Museum. And then I began working for an artist in public art and I learned a lot from her, we worked together for 14 years. I stopped teaching during the pandemic and started doing my own art full time.
Do you usually get guidance on what to paint, or do you decide?
JS: What I paint depends on the project. If it is my own personal project, I paint what inspires me. I have enough ideas to last the rest of my life. When I’m hired by someone, they often provide specific guidelines or themes. Other times, they know my work and want me to “do what I do.”
The designs on these two boxes in Westborough are inspired by three sidewalk Catch Basin murals I painted. Two of these are in Worcester (Green Hill Park, Blackstone River Bikeway) and one is in Arlington (near Spy Pond).
How much does the weather play? How late into winter can you work outside?
JS: The weather is the biggest challenge because it’s impossible to plan. The summers keep getting hotter and I have personally faced heat exhaustion on some occasions. Depending on the surface being painted and the kind paint being used, temperature can have a big effect. I usually work outside from April through November.
Ideally, how many jobs do you juggle at once?
JS: I’m usually working on several projects at once. At the same time, I am planning for future projects and proposals.
Where else is your art? Where else are you working now?
JS: As of this year I will have completed 14 utility box murals from Northampton to Allston. I have also painted a few sidewalk murals and wall murals. My favorite one is in Lexington behind the Music Emporium, facing the Minuteman Bikeway.
I am currently working on a mural for the Rutland Council On Aging, featuring the Central Tree which is the geographical center of Massachusetts. I will end the year with a small mural at the Lexington Community Center. I have several murals planned for next year that I’m really excited about.
What are the challenges of painting surfaces like utility boxes, brick/cement, glass, etc.?
JS: Every project has different challenges, and a lot of art is about problem solving. You learn what materials work best for different surfaces.
I worked on a glass store window once where the paint was provided for the project. When I returned a few days later to finish the project, I found that the paint had “melted.” I had to clean it and redo much of it. That was the last time I let a customer provide the paint!
Roughly, how long does it take to do a box? How do you deal with graffiti and tagging?
JS: It takes me about a month to complete a utility box, depending on weather and other projects I am working on. Each box is sanded, cleaned, painted, varnished and coated with an anti-graffiti product. I have only encountered graffiti at one location before the protective varnish was applied and it was a mess to clean off. For that project, I needed to redo some of the artwork.
How did you happen to come to Westborough?
JS: I applied for a Cultural Council grant and then reached out to the Westborough Cultural Council. It was great working with the folks in Westborough, and we have discussed the possibility of additional projects in the future.
Check out Jill’s finished work on the utility boxes at the Route 30 lights to Bay State Commons, and at the lights at Lyman and Route 30; and keep your eyes open for more public art to come!
