Downtown Music Box Project

A public art program and a joint collaboration between the Joliet City Center Partnership, the City of Joliet, and the City’s Art Commission partially funded by an Illinois Arts Council Grant

About the Project

The Downtown Music Box Project is a public art program and a joint collaboration between the Joliet City Center Partnership, the City of Joliet and the City’s Art Commission. The program decorates city utility boxes throughout downtown and provides an opportunity to highlight local and regional artists.

Music was the theme selected for this project. As such, the artists’ work celebrates a band, musician or song. We invite you to walk the downtown, enjoy the artwork, and scan the QR code on the piece which links to the website with more information on the artist and the song that inspired them. While you are downtown, please consider dining at a local restaurant and supporting some of our retail shops as well, CLICK HERE.

Partially funded by an Illinois Arts Council Grant

Rene Rodriguez

Rene was born and raised in Joliet, IL. He graduated from Joliet Catholic Academy in 1995. Learning independently, he then submerged himself in the creative wave of an artist. Embracing the neighborhood and its culture that he grew up in, and the underground movement of graffiti added to his inspiration while growing as an artist.

Musical Inspiration

Angelica Cristal

Angelica is a renaissance woman born and raised in Joliet. She’s a multimedia artist with a penchant for working with found and hand-made objects, incorporating illumination, and one who works in preservation and recreation of most anything.

Musical Inspiration

Donna Franks-Tapley

Donna is an artist and educator, she's also the owner of SOL Sip and Paint Studio and Galleria in Joliet, IL. Painting is her passion. She received her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and completed her Masters in painting at Governors State University. She currently teaches painting and ceramics art at Bolingbrook High School. She has 24 years in education and looks forward to each new year educating her students.

Musical Inspiration

Karen Fike

Karen Fike is a visual artist based in Chicago who creates acrylic and mixed media paintings with a focus on figurative abstractions of women. She incorporates elements of her background in performance and scenic art and her love of music into her work. Karen uses flash glazes and textured mediums to capture the beauty and chaos of women’s lives, creating dynamic paintings that take on a life of their own.

Musical Inspiration

Kelly Bartels

Kelly is a painter from Elwood, who lived in Joliet for 2 years, then moved to Wilmington, but still teaches elementary art in Joliet. She would describe her work as colorful, detailed, and a mix of abstract and organic elements. She has partnered with the City Center Partnership for two years in a row beginning with their Ready to Rock project as well as worked with the Art Movement’s Summer of Stone & Steel, and painted at New Orleans North in Downtown Joliet. She is very passionate about art, and strives to put her best work out there every time.

Musical Inspiration

Dante DiBartolo

Dante went to Joliet Junior College and received an associate degree in fine art. He learned mostly painting and shortly after graduating he decided to try work as a freelance artist. At first, he found only a few painting jobs and later he started to work for a design studio doing sculpture work. It turned out he had a talent for sculpture as well as painting and learned his skills on the job or at home on his own.

Musical Inspiration

Dante DiBartolo

Musical Inspiration

Margie Keniley

Margie grew up in Plainfield, IL. She has created art pieces all her life using a variety of mediums. She attended Joliet Junior College and University of Houston Clearlake. Her current passion is acrylic/oil paintings which she would describe as intuitive not premeditated abstract/expressive art.

Musical Inspiration

Sarah Comoda

Sarah is a part-time freelance artist. She has spent the past few years developing styles, exploring and incorporating her cultural roots. She is a member of Romeoville Art Society. She genuinely loves creating and sharing art with the community. Sarah is incredibly excited and honored to be involved with this project.

Musical Inspiration

Matt Jesiolowski

Matt is 45 years old and a Joliet native of 18 years. His painting style would be considered contemporary abstract. He's been painting and creating since his late teens. Matt does most of his painting on old glass windows, but pretty much looks at anything as a canvas. He enjoys using a plethora of colors, he likes his work bright and moving.

Musical Inspiration