107 community members, and two pets, have left an imprint on Adele Hiles’ mural, ‘Hands on, Ribbons of Light’
By Peter Finkle
Have you noticed the bold, bright, newly painted traffic signal boxes along Siskiyou Boulevard? This article features the second one, which was painted in October. You will learn about the artist, her artwork — and 115 collaborators who helped create the mural-on-a-box you see today!
‘Hands on, Ribbons of Light’ — Artist Adele Hiles
“All four sides of the box will feature unique colorful flowing ribbons, and individual handprints of Montessori school children and Presbyterian church members.” — Adele Hiles, in her proposal to the Ashland Public Arts Advisory Committee
You’ll see this box, called “Hands on, Ribbons of Light,” at the corner of Siskiyou Boulevard and Walker Avenue, next to the First Presbyterian Church. On weekdays, Children’s World Montessori School meets in the church facilities. So the plan was for the “neighborhood” of adults and children from the church and she school to join in painting the box. I will briefly introduce you to the Public Arts Committee’s Neighborhood Public Artworks vision at the end of this photo essay.
Lending hands
Adele Hiles, with the assistance of volunteer Linda Purdom, began her community involvement by going to the Children’s World Montessori School to get handprints from about 35 of the school’s children, plus some teachers and parent volunteers.
She was surprised how still the children were able to hold their hands as their fingers were being traced. “They were serious looking and they knew they were contributing to the artwork,” she said. “Then, as the mural was being painted, the classes came out twice and children looked for their own handprints.”
Hiles also traced handprints of members of the First Presbyterian Church of Ashland. She laughed as she told me there are even handprints from a couple Market of Choice staffers, since their store is just half a block away.
By the time painting was complete, the handprints of 107 community members (plus one dog and one cat) became part of the artwork! For most of the handprints, you will see initials of “the person attached to the hand.”
Hands across the decades?
I hope that most of these 107 people will bring friends and family to see their handprints on the public artwork. Decades from now, I hope some of the now-children will bring their own children to see “my handprint” on the box. If this does happen, it would be a wonderful example of the emotional connection with public art that the Public Arts committee hopes to nurture.
The painting process
Painting the box mural took place between last Oct. 17 and 22. Hiles began by drawing outlines of the complex, flowing design on all four sides of the box. When it was time to begin adding bright colors, Johanna Lear and Linda Purdom provided assistance and companionship through the long hours.
“I couldn’t have done it without Johanna,” Hiles said. “She even gave me her feedback as I was designing it, which was really invaluable. In addition, Linda was generous with her time and painting skills.” The dog print that found its way into the mural happened when a passerby asked Hiles, “Can you include my dog JJ?”
Community participation
About 115 people helped artist Hiles create the artwork. For most, it was a handprint, while seven or eight assisted with painting.
Local business support
Thank you to Ann Ebert at Central Art Supply. Adele purchased paints and supplies at Central Art Supply in Medford, which generously offered a significant discount to the Public Arts Committee for this project. Hiles said Ebert was “delightful to work with.”
A teacher saw talent
Hiles remembers a life-changing day when she was in third or fourth grade. “I did a drawing that my teacher thought was outstanding enough to display in a special location in the classroom, and I felt very proud of that,” she recalled. “It made me feel something I hadn’t known about myself before then — that I was really good at something.”
She received support for creative pursuits from her mother, then studied art at high school and college. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at San Diego State University. For many years, she made stained-glass art for a living.
Other art by Hiles
People who go to Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford will find uplifting artworks painted by Hiles around the year 2000. Nature scenes were commissioned for four ER exam rooms used mostly for children. As you can see, her art can be realistic and bold and colorful and nourishing for the spirit, all at the same time.
Why public art?
Ashland has a Public Arts Advisory Committee to sponsor and advocate for public artworks. The committee sponsors these painted traffic signal boxes as part of our public art collection. Why public art? Because public art is valuable, even crucial to a community. It is for everyone — not just for “art collectors” or people who go to art galleries. We all have access to public art in the course of daily life.
More art in the works
As of January, we had 62 public artworks in the city’s collection, with additional public art projects underway. This multiyear project is one of them.
There are 16 more traffic signal boxes to paint during the next few years. Hundreds of Ashland residents will help create these public artworks. Counting just their families and friends, thousands of residents have the potential to be touched emotionally or intellectually by the painting process.
Being human, we tend to take for granted what we are familiar with. For example, we so easily take art for granted, hardly noticing a mural, sculpture or painted utility box we see regularly in our own town. Yet we know that art, whether we see it as a tourist in another city or here at home, has the ability to uplift us and impact our lives.
Ultimately, the success of this Neighborhood Public Artworks project will be measured by how many people are inspired, even a little, to more deeply appreciate the wide variety of public art that surrounds us in our daily lives.
Stay tuned for more traffic signal boxes to be painted in 2025 and beyond!
Peter Finkle leads Ashland walking tours. Visit WalkAshland.com to learn about his history, art and Haunted Ashland tours, or to request a private tour for your group or family.
Related story: Peter Finkle: Students give city a box of art (Feb. 3, 2025)
