Decorated Utility Box: Four Celebrities and a Parody, Springfield, MA

Four Celebrities and a Parody

Springfield, MA

N 42° 06.131 W 072° 35.380

Short Description: 

A painted utility box just south of 1390 Main Street in Springfield features Muhammad Ali, a parody of a nearby sculpture and cast members of the Sopranos.

Long Description:

Eighteen artists have been chosen by the Springfield Central Cultural District to paint and beautify electrical utility boxes in the downtown area of Springfield. The first boxes were painted on Monday May 23, 2016 and the program will continue throughout the month and beyond. Many of the paintings will be sponsored by local organizations and businesses.

John Simpson is well known for painting a series of murals in downtown Springfield that feature celebrities. This utility box is primarily a tribute to Muhammad Ali who died on June 3, 2016. His image appears on the sidewalk side. The south side contains three vertically arranged portraits. They appear to be Edie Falco, Jamie-Lynn Sigler and James Gandolfini - Carmela Soprano, Meadow Soprano and Tony Soprano. The street side is a parody of a silhouette sculpture if a huge bird directly opposite the utility box to the west. In the parody the bird is feeding a worm to its two young birds. A pair of butterflies surround the meter on the north side.