Fort Collins’ Transformer Mural Program is First of its Kind in the Country

The city of Fort Collins is all about adding bright colorful art in unexpected places. People love to sit down and play the painted pianos that are placed about town or check out the other unique art in public places throughout Fort Collins.

Another one of Fort Collins' Art in Public Places projects is the Transformer Cabinet Mural Program. Through this program, the city commissions local artists to hand-paint original designs on transformer cabinets around town. Not only do these murals add a pop of color to boring pieces of electrical equipment, but the project has also lowered maintenance costs of repainting graffitied cabinets.

Since the start of the program in 2004, 377 transformer cabinets have now been transformed into works of art.

When the artists first began working on these boxes in Fort Collins nearly 18 years ago, it was the only program of its kind in the entire country. The concept has now been replicated in other cities across the U.S., making these places more vibrant with each box that's painted.

Fort Collins continues to accept new artists to help paint the remaining plain transformer cabinets around the city.