Student Artists Transform Taos Utility Boxes into a Public Gallery | LOR Foundation
Complete Economy

Student Artists Transform Taos Utility Boxes into a Public Gallery

Taos
  • Local Champion: Downtown Taos
  • Date Funded: January 23, 2025
  • Grant Amount: $8,840

Utility boxes in Taos are often targets for vandalism and graffiti, tarnishing public spaces and detracting from the community’s beauty. It’s a longstanding problem that Taos MainStreet found success solving in 2022 by wrapping several utility boxes in local artwork. Hoping to build on those efforts, staff with Taos MainStreet came up an innovative idea: use local students to create new art for utility boxes. To get the program up and running, they reached out to LOR for support. LOR’s funding will help Taos MainStreet hire a local artist to teach middle and high school students about public art principles and guide them in creating artwork for 18 utility boxes, turning everyday infrastructure into an outdoor gallery that stops vandalism and celebrates the creative talent of Taos youth.

Contact our community officer in Taos. Meet Sonya Struck
More Economy Solutions
Economy / Weiser A Fresh Start Revitalizes Weiser’s Farmers Market
Local Champion:
Friends of the Chamber of Commerce
Date funded:
May 22, 2026
Grant Amount:
$9,500
Economy / Cortez Barn Quilts Bring New Energy and Foot Traffic to Downtown Cortez
Local Champion:
Two Cortez locals
Date funded:
May 14, 2026
Grant Amount:
$3,118
Economy / Libby Local Promotion Helps Libby’s Farmers Market Adjust to Its New Downtown Location
Local Champion:
Farmers Market at Libby
Date funded:
April 30, 2026
Grant Amount:
$1,450
Economy / Lander Sewing Mentorship Program Equips Lander Women with Skills for Livable Wages
Local Champion:
A Lander local
Date funded:
April 29, 2026
Grant Amount:
$10,000
Economy / Cortez Food Preservation Classes Build Skills and Small Businesses in Cortez
Local Champion:
Montezuma County Extension Office
Date funded:
April 28, 2026
Grant Amount:
$9,430
Economy / Cortez A Digital Sign Puts Cortez Animal Programs on the Map
Local Champion:
Obe's Angels
Date funded:
April 22, 2026
Grant Amount:
$2,000
See All solutions

Share an Idea

If you have an idea for improving quality of life in Cortez or Monte Vista, Colorado; Lander, Wyoming; Libby, Montana; Questa or Taos, New Mexico; or Weiser, Idaho, use this form to start a conversation with us.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.