Art on Call is a city-wide effort led by Cultural Tourism DC to restore Washington DC's abandoned police and fire call boxes as neighborhood artistic icons. Cultural Tourism DC partners with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the District Department of Transportation on this initiative.

The reinvented call boxes range in style from the traditional to the avant-garde. Once the boxes are recreated with an artist's unique touch, they entice residents and visitors to explore the city's distinctive communities and showcase each neighborhood's unique identity.

HISTORY:

Police and fire call boxes were installed throughout the capital starting in the 1860s. They began to become obsolete with the introduction of the 911 emergency call system in the 1970s, and the working electronic components were all removed by 1995. Yet the call boxes remained, too large and heavy to remove and subject to deterioration from weather and vandalism.

The Art on Call initiative began in 2000 when the call boxes were surveyed and identified for refurbishment. More than 1,100 abandoned boxes have been found to date. The District Department of Transportation stripped, primed, and prepared about 700 boxes in 2002 and 2003. It recently renewed its commitment to the project.


photos by Nick Eckert © 2009

PARTICIPANTS:

Twelve neighborhood organizations are actively working on call boxes as part of Art on Call (five have completed projects). They have formed coalitions with residents and artists to propose, and then carry out, ideas for refurbishing their neighborhood’s call boxes. Each community selects a theme or color palette for its boxes, thereby creating recognizable identifiers for its geographic area. 

FUNDING:

Cultural Tourism DC and the Commission on the Arts and Humanities provide funding for call boxes after an application is submitted and the design and fabrication plan are reviewed. As of March 2007 grants have been disbursed to fund 114 boxes.

STATUS:

As of May 31, 2007, 81 completed boxes are on view in Capitol Hill, Dupont Circle, Mount Pleasant, Sheridan/Kalorama, Tenleytown, and Woodley Park.


photos by Nick Eckert © 2009

PARTNERS:

Art on Call is a project of Cultural Tourism DC in partnership with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the District Department of Transportation, and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development.

MORE INFO: 

For more info, please email ArtonCall@CulturalTourismDC.org or call 202-661-7581.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Courtney MacGregor, CMacGregor@CulturalTourismDC.org or 202-626-1133.

FOLLOW OUR PROGRESS: 

Sheridan-Kalorama Art on Call Boxes Completed (March 25, 2007)

Dupont Circle Unveils 22 Art on Call Boxes During Community Celebration, September 10 (August 10, 2005)

Mount Pleasant Unveils DC's First Art on Call Boxes--
Refurbished Fire and Police Call Boxes Revealed Saturday (July 19, 2004)

First Call Box Restoration Approved Cultural Tourism DC Rehabilitation of Police and Fire Call Boxes to Proceed in Mount Pleasant (April 2, 2003)

Mayor Williams Launches Rehabilitation of Washington's Historic Police and Fire Call Boxes (November 7, 2002)


photos by Nick Eckert © 2009