Between October 6-10 (weather permitting) the corner of 10th & Felix will get a little brighter with the Allied Arts Council’s third traffic box installation. This is the first themed project, but the committee felt a literary theme was appropriate as the traffic box is right next to the library.

After reviewing multiple submissions, the selection committee chose Grace McCammond, from St. Louis, MO, as the artist for the third traffic box (submitted artwork above). The committee included Jody Carlson, City of St. Joseph Director of Public Works & Transportation; Mary Robertson, City of St. Joseph Communications Manager; Amy Heath, Co-owner of Lucky Tiger; Mary Beth Revels, St. Joseph Public Library Director; and Rhabecca Boerkircher, Executive Director of the Downtown Partnership.

“I found myself thinking about the continuity of literacy thru the ages and the connection between past and present and how they weave together, the past informing the present and the present illuminating the past. The imagery of the open book, parchment, quill and ink, and hurricane lamp interwoven with books on shelves- the bright colors and bold lines linked in a style reminiscent of stained glass- is meant to convey a sense of the past and the present literacy as both a continuum and interconnected. Using St. and Joseph as book titles is a way of grounding that concept to a sense of place and indicating St. Joseph exists as part of and within that continuum of past and present,” said McCammond.

McCammond is not new to the public art scene. She began in the mid 80’s as a photo retoucher and B/W lab technician, and returned to school in 1993 completing her BA from the University of Montana. In 1997, hoping to pursue art full time she moved in St. Louis, and purchased and rehabbed a building with friends opening Signature Arts. McCammond has a long list of professional artwork ranging from beer labels, several traffic signal boxes, murals and much more.

“Some artists create great art that make people think, make a statement or comments on important issues of the day and I think that is a wonderful use of art. But, for me, I view my work as acting on a much more modest scale… public art becomes part of our daily lives and engages us as we move through our day… public art can be like a friend seen on the street, we may not have time to stop and visit long but we can wave, say hi and move on with a smile. And that’s what I try to do with public artwork that I create,” said McCammond.