FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 5, 2026
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CONTACT: Christine Cordon, City Manager
(714) 548-3178, ccordon@westminster-ca.gov
City of Westminster Launches Call for Artists for New Signal Box Art Program
Applications open August 6 for local artists to transform traffic signal boxes across the city into public art.
WESTMINSTER, Calif. – The City of Westminster invites local artists to apply for its new Signal Box Art Program—a public art initiative that will transform the City's 62 traffic signal cabinets into vibrant, community-inspired artwork. The Call for Artists opens Thursday, August 6, 2026.
The program is designed to engage the community in creating vibrant, accessible public art that reflects the culture of Westminster's residents, visitors and businesses, while enhancing the streetscape, supporting local artists and deterring graffiti and visual blight. Each completed signal box will feature a plaque with the artist's name, design title and installation date, along with a unique identifier linking to an interactive map on the City's website.
The program was developed through the City's Cultural Arts Commission and approved by the City Council on June 10, 2026. The City Council has committed to a goal of preparing 10 signal boxes annually, with all 62 boxes painted within six years.
“When the City Council approved this program in June, we saw an opportunity to invest in something both practical and creative. This program turns ordinary infrastructure into an expression of who we are as a community. I'm pleased to see this initiative move forward,” said Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen.
The program's guidelines were shaped by the City's Cultural Arts Commission, which will also be part of the review and selection process this fall.
“This program is about giving Westminster's artists, including our students, a visible, lasting way to shape how their community looks and feels. I'm proud the Commission got to help build this from the ground up, and I can't wait to see the first designs come in,” said Ashton Kauwe, Chair of the Westminster Cultural Arts Commission.
The Call for Artists is conducted in partnership with the Orange County Department of Education and coincides with the back-to-school season. Signal boxes located nearest Westminster schools will be prioritized for youth artists from those schools.
Artists, groups of artists and school groups are eligible to apply. Applicants must live in, work in or demonstrate a strong tie to the Westminster community. Selected artists will receive a $750 stipend to cover material costs and must select three preferred signal box locations, in order of preference, as part of their application.
Applications must be submitted electronically by the deadline of September 17, 2026, at 5 p.m. Staff and Orange County Department of Education representatives are expected to review submissions from September 17-28, with Cultural Arts Commission review and selection tentatively scheduled for October 6 and City Council review for October 28. Selected artists are anticipated to present their designs at a Public Art Exhibit in November or December, with installation of the 2027 signal box art planned to take place between January and June 2027.
To view a map of signal box locations, review full program guidelines and application requirements, or apply, visit westminster-ca.gov/signalbox. Learn more about the City of Westminster at westminster-ca.gov.
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