Borzoi Hope

Borzoi Hope

Title: Borzoi Hope

Location: 8th and Maritime Drive

Artist: Erika Christel

Date: 2021

This utility box was part of a 2021 collaboration between the Rahr-West Art Museum Public Arts Committee and Manitowoc Public Utility. Ten utility boxes in downtown Manitowoc were painted by local artists with designs based on works from the Museum’s collection.

Christel said of her design: “I picked Borzoi Watching by Frances Myers.The color palette is mostly purple, pink, and blue, which I thought would nicely stand out from the natural colors that surround it. It’s also a very simple painting, meaning it’s easy to appreciate the design from afar, no matter where you are in Shipbuilders Park. I also liked this piece because it felt like it had meaning. The borzoi seemed to be longing for something, and when I redesigned the painting, I could easily keep that theme prominent in the painting by having the borzoi looking forward to the sun, which is why I named it Borzoi Hope.”

Sponsors: Manitowoc Public Utilities, City of Manitowoc Room Tax Commission, the Wisconsin Arts Board, and Hallman Lindsay Paint.