Ten Harrisonburg Public Works traffic cabinets have been transformed into pieces of art, displaying the works of local artists in the form of vinyl wraps. Artists were selected by a committee consisting of City of Harrisonburg staff and representatives from Arts Council of the Valley and Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance (HDR).
The installation of public art plays a key role in building community connectivity and creating a sense of place. Through collaboration with the Arts Council and HDR, the City was able to highlight local artists’ work, adding vibrant color to our intersections while creating a beautiful place that the community shares and is proud of. Standard traffic cabinets that are a necessary component of signalized intersections now have multiple purposes. Typically, the cabinets enable traffic signals to function properly and now they showcase local artists work, highlight Harrisonburg’s natural surroundings and culture, and make Harrisonburg city streets stand out.
2024 Artists and their Cabinet Locations
- Gay Street & North Main Street – Bryan Luna
- North Mason Street & Gay Street – Katie Cousins
- Wolfe Street & North Main Street – Rebecca Gish
- Wolfe Street & North Mason Street – Alex Dorney
- North Main Street & Elizabeth Street – Jennifer Cottrell
- Elizabeth Street & North Mason Street – Rachel Bryan
- Court Square and North Main Street – Rosa Cruz
- East Market Street & North Mason Street – Ver Ikeseh
- South Main Street and West Water Street – Lana Lambert
- South Main Street and Bruce Street – Melissa Huryk
Press Release: Traffic Cabinets Transformed into Public Art in Downtown Harrisonburg 
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Project Background
Harrisonburg City Council approved designs by 10 Virginia artists during its May 28, 2024 meeting for artwork to be featured on traffic cabinet boxes in downtown Harrisonburg’s Arts and Culture District. The City has collaborated with Arts Council of the Valley (ACV) and Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance (HDR) on the project. HDR is underwriting the project cost, with Harrisonburg Public Works and ACV providing technical and artistic support. A juried panel reviewed artist proposals and made recommendations to City Council.
Harrisonburg Public Works worked with the artists and a traffic cabinet wrap installation company to apply art designs to cabinet dimensions. Traffic cabinet wraps were installed in August 2024.
View each traffic cabinet design: Traffic Cabinet Artist and Cabinet Designs [7.5MB]
Traffic Cabinet Art Wrap Celebration
Join Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance (HDR), the Arts Council of the Valley, and the City of Harrisonburg to celebrate Downtown's latest collaborative public art project. At the event on October 28 from 5:30-7:00pm you may enjoy light refreshments and the opportunity to hear from each artist about their work of art. Details of each cabinet design will be hung in the Court Square "Marketplace Gallery" (the hallway outside of Capital Ale House and Court Square Theater), 41 Court Square, Harrisonburg. The gallery will be up for display through December 2024. This event is free and open to all ages.
Event Schedule:
- 5:30pm - Mingling, Beverages, and Snacks
- 6:10pm - Welcome and Project Background
- 6:15pm - Artists will talk about their work of art and participation in the project
- 7:00pm - Event End
Future Traffic Cabinet Wrap Projects
The City is planning for a second round of traffic cabinet artwork to be displayed on nine additional traffic cabinet locations in 2028. A call for artists for this project will take place at a later date.
For additional information or questions about the Traffic Cabinet Art Wrap Project please email Brittany.Clem-Hott@harrisonburgva.gov.