“They’re arteries of art that reach so many different people in the community,” says Dublin Arts Council Steward Chris Hirschfeld.
Hirschfeld is an ARTbox Steward, a volunteer who maintains one of Dublin Arts Council’s six vessels placed in highly trafficked areas of the community. ARTboxes serve as little art libraries, through which quarterly art projects and supplies, along with information and community engagement opportunities, are offered free of charge.
A 35-year Dublin resident herself, Hirschfeld has maintained the ARTbox in Scioto Park on Riverside Drive for about 18 months.
“It’s always been mine,” she says. “I adopted the ARTbox. … I’m the foster parent. I feel responsible for it. I keep it full and love seeing children enjoying it.”
Created in pandemic response
“When Dublin Arts Council closed our facility during the pandemic, we felt a need to extend our reach into the community,” says Dublin Arts Council Development and Education Manager Katy Marque. “We worked with City of Dublin staff and reviewed survey data to strategize and select sites with greatest reach to most members of our community.”
Dublin Arts Council defines community as those who live, work, visit, play and learn in Dublin.
The initial five ARTboxes were installed in late summer and early fall 2020 with members of the Dublin Arts Council staff visiting them every other week. The first boxes were filled with
“Connect” public art discovery booklets, sketch books and colored pencils.
“The response was overwhelming,” Marque says. “We distributed 500 packs per month on average, and six to eight months later, added a sixth ARTbox, by request, in Bridge Park.”
After the first year, it became evident that help was needed to maintain the ARTboxes and create the packets of materials inside. Invitations were sent to Dublin Arts Council’s patron email list, and 75 community volunteers signed up for the first event.
“We were able to assign a Steward to each box and also create a support team for packing,” Marque says.
Dublin Arts Council’s ARTboxes
ARTbox locations, maps and project information
www.dublinarts.org/community/artboxes/
Become a Dublin Arts Council Steward
Katy Marque
marque@dublinarts.org; 614-889-7444
Takeovers and Takeaways
As the ARTboxes’ popularity has grown, Dublin Arts Council continues to add to the experience. Currently, visitors can discover Dublin’s public art cell phone tour and dream about what they’d like to see, featuring a Model Magic project with foam clay.
In March, visitors will discover a deep dive into fractals, repeating patterns that promote wellness. The ARTbox activity connects to Dublin Arts Council’s gallery exhibition that opens March 7, and will include coloring pages that combine art and nature activities.
Dublin Arts Council will also partner with two local organizations for month-long “takeovers” of the ARTboxes. In May, Dublin Area Art League members will feature mini-displays of artwork in each of the six boxes, along with make-and-take activities, created with the artists and Dublin Arts Council staff.
A Tanabata project featuring bamboo installations and tags, to be inscribed with visitors’ wishes, will be added by Japan-America Society of Central Ohio (JASCO) in July. The takeover also includes origami kits and grab-and-go projects associated with the traditional Star Festival, celebrated on July 7.
Student artists, family volunteers
Andrea Berg, an intervention specialist with Dublin City Schools, is a Steward for the ARTbox in Kaltenbach Park on Cara Road. Her daughters, Libby, 16, and Maddie, 14, have entered their artwork in Dublin Arts Council’s emerging exhibition of student artwork, set to open Jan. 10. When an opportunity to give back arose, they answered the call.
“We’ve gone to Kaltenbach for years. Every time we go, there are a mass of kids around on the playground and families in the park. I always want to fill the box and then watch from the car,”
Berg says. “It’s so nice to be part of this and it’s important for my girls to take time to do something for someone else.”
Berg also involves her parents, who live in a Dublin senior living community. She notes that they like to cut, sort and talk, turning the activity into a social opportunity that contributes to the community.
Berg is an advocate for the ARTboxes, including them in her “Getting to Know You” slides at school. She encourages others to look for them, go to the parks and check them out.
“These are so cool,” she says. “I can’t believe it’s free!”
Connecting with community
Hirschfeld also advocates for the ARTboxes, while connecting with park visitors. She recalls talking with a man who was in town for the Dublin Irish Festival, visiting Dublin’s parks and ARTboxes. She recalls how he loved the experience.
She also connected with a mother and daughter who are regulars, waiting excitedly for her to arrive with new supplies, and a person assisting a young adult visitor with a physical disability into a van. They were “blown away,” and so grateful and appreciative when she offered them the art kits.
“It’s just the timing of things that bring people joy,” says Hirschfeld. “Maybe they needed that, that day.”
Janet Cooper is director of engagement for the Dublin Arts Council. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
