Utility Box Mural by Artist Steven Anderson at 351 East Charleston Rd, Palo Alto.

Title: Tech-Jay.

Artwork Statement: My approach to this piece was to touch on both nature and the tech space. With the scrub Jay being a native bird to the area, I thought it would be fun to turn her into a hybrid creature that would grab people's interest as they passed by.

Utility Box Mural by Artist Adrian Arias at 1490 Channing Ave, Palo Alto.

Title: Passionflower and Fuchsia: Guardians of Healing.

Artwork Statement: At the corner of Newell and Channing, two sacred medicinal goddesses now stand - Passionflower and Fuchsia - bearing their ancient healing powers. These plants, revered for their ability to soothe and restore the human body, have been reimagined as vibrant murals, offering visual solace to the rhythms of daily life. This series of medicinal plant goddesses by Adrian Arias invites moments of calm reflection, urging us to observe the richness of our surroundings and consider the wisdom of alternative medicine. Nature, in its boundless generosity, offers us health, energy, and healing, reminding us to honor the remedies she provides.

For the first time, Adrian Arias brings his vision of medicinal plants to a utilitarian box, transforming the mundane into a canvas of reverence. Painted here in Palo Alto—on Puichon Ohlone land, where vegetation and nature have always been vital—these artworks stand as a tribute to the interconnectedness of art, medicine, and the sacred stewardship of the earth.

Utility Box Mural by Artist Hollis Callas at 555 Bryant St, Palo Alto.

Title: Palo Alto Blooms.

Artwork Statement: Palo Alto Blooms celebrates the beautiful flora of the area, bringing an organic burst of color and life to an everyday urban fixture. Inspired by the energy and beauty of local plants, this piece features wildflowers and greenery in a flowing, harmonious pattern that connects the community to its natural surroundings. Each brushstroke is a tribute to the vibrant, thriving ecosystem that defines Palo Alto, inviting viewers to pause and appreciate the natural world right in their own neighborhood.

Utility Box Mural by Artist Alicia Cardell at 780 Arastradero Rd, Palo Alto.

Title: Things Will Work Out.

Artwork Statement: “Things will work out” is a reassuring message I wanted to leave for the students at Gunn. That we don’t have to pressure ourselves to figure it all out all at once.

Utility Box Mural by Artist Hector Covarrubias at 140 University Avenue, Palo Alto.

Title: Flora and Color. 

Artwork Statement: The idea of this design was based on the colors of the bay and a touch of tropical flora. I want to brighten up the streets with my art using folkloric elements and vibrant colors.

Utility Box Mural by Artist Anne-Sophie Gaudet at 2741 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto.

Title: Blue Oaks.

Artwork Statement: I was inspired by the fact that Palo Alto is a city that feels like a natural landscape with its oak trees, flowers, and views of the hills.

Utility Box Mural by Artist Heather Hardison at 3045 Hansen Way, Palo Alto.

Title: Palo Alto Community Connections.

Artwork Statement: This utility box mural is a part of a mural series celebrating positive community connections. In this time of increased political polarization, and isolating technologies, these murals are a call for reaching out and empathizing with one another and recognizing our shared humanity and interdependence.

Utility Box Mural by Artist Todd Kurnat at 699 Loma Verde Ave, Palo Alto.

Title: Cosmic Utility.

Artwork Statement: My abstract design celebrates the diverse neighborhoods of Palo Alto by utilizing overlapping shapes and vibrant colors to emphasize the interactive community. The bold, black lines represent the paths traveled that connect people throughout the city. The piece represents how we live in harmony—balancing movement, contrast, and energy.

Utility Box Mural by Artist Sophia Lee at 500 East Meadow Rd, Palo Alto.

Title: Submarine Portal.

Artwork Statement: I imagined that a 'Submarine Portal' would transport viewers to unseen worlds beneath the waves, offering a whimsical journey reminiscent of the fantastical adventures in 'Yellow Submarine.' This mural transforms a utility box into a vibrant underwater realm, inviting onlookers to traverse vast distances through a magical gateway of imagination. With dynamic movement, bright colors, and playful imagery, it sparks hope and joy, evoking curiosity, nostalgia, and a childlike sense of wonder—creating a moment of delight and exploration in the urban landscape.

Utility Box Mural by Artist Rayos Magos at 624 Arastradero Rd, Palo Alto.

Title: Ancient Life Cycles (Antiguos Ciclos de la Vida)

Artwork Statement:

Front side: represents the growing and cultivating of the land and its bounty. The corn (maiz) is seen growing up and out into the world. The hands offer up their labor along with the arms reaching out for connection while protecting its heart (yolotl).

Right side: depicts a flower symbol and representation of life as a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Drops of water fall onto the symbolic flower which sustains life. Back side: represents the Sun in the process of life growth. The ancient sun symbol also represents the “Ollin” symbol for change and cycles of change. The sun shines and speaks with speech scrolls which dictate the length of a day and year cycle. Below a cactus (nopal) grows out of Chaac Mool (water deity) which is associated with water and is also part of the life cycle.

Left side: the agave plant is a resilient plant that grows in harsh conditions and thrives with drops of water as well. 

Top side: depicts common design motifs found in Meso-American art. At the center of the design is Quetzalcoatl (plumed flying serpent deity) associated with wind, creativity, and knowledge. Speech scrolls are also coming out of the mouth of Quetzalcoatl, which words/speech is also considered part of wind and/or energy.

Utility Box Mural by Artist Kseniya Makarova at 1137 Colorado Ave, Palo Alto.

Title: Matadero Watershed.

Artwork Statement: My designs celebrate the Matadero creek watershed, the creek itself, and the adjoining Baylands. The artwork features simplified views of the creek and the Baylands as they may have looked before the area was developed. I wanted to highlight the creek and watershed because they're so close to the box location, yet hidden from view, and very representative of the interconnectedness of the greater ecosystem of the area. The artwork includes native wildlife—Gray foxes, an egret, a heron, sandpipers, a black-tailed jack rabbit, and beavers, which have only recently reappeared in the area. The colors used in the designs have been chosen to complement the surrounding landscape, bringing a vibrant presence while not distracting from the verdant location of Greer park. The two boxes share a color palette but use it differently, so that the resulting artwork is in conversation with each other but not too similar.

Utility Box Mural by Artist Mila Moldenhawer at 338 University Ave, Palo Alto.

Title: Angles of an Electric Entity.

Artwork Statement: The design invites viewers to move around the box, offering a variety of perspectives. Through the shifting angles of color and shape, people can approach each facade uniquely and see how their perception shifts, sparking curiosity about form, color and canvas, encouraging them to have a playful understanding of the potential in an urban environment.

Utility Box Mural by Artist David Polka at 452 University Ave, Palo Alto.

Title: Intersections.

Artwork Statement: My public art practice engages with place and geography by exploring the interactions and intersections that constantly occur in urban spaces. People, infrastructure, institutions, the natural world, and the built environment all overlap in an interplay of connections, conflict and co-existence. I visualize this interplay in bold, stylized forms, using contrasting shapes and colors to describe the push and pull of life in the city.

Utility Box Mural by Artist Eddie Ramirez at 2741 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto.

Title: California Grizzly.

Artwork Statement: I love how busy the neighborhood my artwork will be placed in is. Cars are buzzing down the street and people are zooming in and out of shops. The thing people may forget is what this land once was. I want to depict the raw California landscape with a California grizzly bear on the street side and the serene wilderness wrapping around the box. I’m hoping the contrast of the present neighborhood against the natural terrain will catch people’s eyes and maybe cause them to stop and think about it for a little bit.

Utility Box Mural by Artist Swati Rastogi at 234 University Ave, Palo Alto.

Title: Ornamental Palo Alto.

Artwork Statement: A pleasure to extend my colors and creations in the heart of Palo Alto. A street/the region lined with trees and lights, shops and restaurants, murals and other public art, my work on the utility box speaks of motifs from India and I feel it’s a great location to nearby amazing Indian restaurants. I hope my work is resonated by one and all.

The bold and bright colors in my work speak of the diverse eclectic character of the downtown. Lots of green in my work speaks of the lush green trees lined street. Blue background is reflective of gorgeous blue skies above us.

My work is an invitation for everyone to come, pause, take a moment to admire the art inspired by folk and tribal art motifs from India and mandala that is one of the signature series of my own.  

Utility Box Mural by Artist Pablo Ruiz-Arroyo at 555 East Charleston Rd, Palo Alto.

Title: Colors in Life.

Artwork Statement: Colors in Life is a surreal depiction of the lives found in the Palo Alto community. The character looking on is holding a skateboard and a backpack. There is a strong skating community in Palo Alto and had been for decades. The backpack doubles as a home, a symbol of how many have migrated to the community from many other places. The many colors of the character speaks to the richness of creativity found in youth. The flowers connect to the scenery as a symbol of the interdependence of nature with humanity. The bird and house are also symbols of local nature and their connections to each other. These are all inspired by the experiences Pablo Ruiz Arroyo has had in years of travelling and painting murals throughout California and the world.

Utility Box Mural by Artist Paula Saslow at 200 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto.

Title: Ode to Palo Alto.

Artwork Statement: It encapsulates the spirit of what Palo Alto means to me…vibrancy, connection, ideas, innovation, technology, riches, redwoods, nearby ocean.

Utility Box Mural by Artist Simon Tran at 4120 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto.

Title: Lasting Bloom.

Artwork Statement: This piece is part of a series meditating on the matriarchal garden. Floral abstractions referencing the gardens kept by my mother and other women role models. In their gardens there is strength and solace.