KPWB Bus Shelter Beautification project pairs original art with regular litter removal

Keep Prince William Beautiful (KPWB), a non-profit environmental organization that serves Prince William County, has unveiled its first KPWB Bus Shelter Beautification project in Dale City.

The project will use public space art combined with a litter removal program to transform designated bus shelters into public art spaces, to beautify neighborhoods, bring awareness to the importance of protecting our natural environment, and ultimately, improve the ridership experience.

Partners in the first of four bus shelter beautifications include OmniRide, Prince William County departments of Neighborhood Services and Parks, Recreation & Tourism, Amazon Web Services In Communities (AWS), and Apple Federal Credit Union.

“Similar projects across the country have had the added benefit of deterring litter and vandalism and have been instrumental in connecting the local communities to public art.
KPWB and our partners in this project are excited and proud to bring such a worthwhile program to Prince William County,” said Rico Fleshman, Executive Director of Keep
Prince William Beautiful.

Initially, the Bus Shelter Beautification project will launch at four locations, each featuring work by a different artist under the theme of environmental stewardship.

Artists were selected through an open call for proposals by KPWB earlier this yea. Artists were encouraged to visit their selected shelter locations to see the neighborhood, surrounding community, and its cultural influences to inspire them to create their works. Each selected artist received a $500 grant to create the artwork and will receive half of the proceeds gained at auction for the sale of their artwork after a year. Each shelter contains a name card identifying the artist and a QR code that can be scanned to access the artist’s website and artwork.

The Bus Shelter Beautification project also includes a dedicated and consistent litter removal effort that will be led by community volunteers to ensure each space is clean
and maintained.

The first location: Dale Blvd & Minnieville Road (in front of Giant Shopping Center) Artist: Amanda Griffith, an art teacher at Freedom High School in Woodbridge, works primarily with Colored Pencils, Markers, and Acrylic Paint creating complex composite drawings and is inspired by surrealist artists and her students. Griffith is passionate about creating images that speak to a greater theme in a singular artwork to create a surreal experience for the viewer. Her goal is to have viewers see something new each time they view the artwork.