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42:. They are wooden boxes with hinged covers and are annually distributed around as a supplement to the city's snow removal and road salting operations. They are a service of Baltimore's Department of Transportation, which distributes the boxes around the city in the late fall (no precise date is given) in anticipation of winter weather. The boxes are filled with a mixture of
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Not much is known about when the publicly supported salt box became a regular practice in the city, although references to the placement of sand boxes by the
Baltimore City Bureau of Highways appear in Snow and Ice Control Program reports as early as 1959. Neighboring counties with their own methods
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among other cultural touchstones. Since permanence nor return of the original art is guaranteed, the main collaborators behind the art salt box phenomenon have put forward a plan with the
Department of Transportation for citizens to choose to remove their art for safekeeping and reuse the following
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Besides the practical use, the humble salt box has its fans for many reasons, as demonstrated by an eponymous social media presence on
Instagram established in 2018. In 2020, awareness of the salt boxes was greatly increased when a local artist noticed that salt boxes remained unseasonably present,
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over the winter of 2021 gaining nationwide and international notice. Aside from popular media, local politicians have taken note of the artist's project, with salutary remarks from the state's city
Senators, and one contributed by a Councilman. In a nod to the plural use of the salt box for public
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In accordance with the guideline expressed by the
Department of Transportation, "as long as they have a salt theme or highlight something special in the surrounding neighborhood", salt box art themes include visual and word based puns on the theme of salt and spices, ice and snow, portraits, and
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for high visibility, and marked "salt box" on the front panel in characteristic stenciled black capital letters. They are typically are removed in the springtime, for refurbishment and redistribution the next season.
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The artist alerted the city's
Department of Transportation, which responded favorably and "approved of the modification", encouraging further citizen artist engagement and coining the trend of salt box
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sheet was made for use by school-aged children, for submission in a contest for a winning design to be produced by the
Department of Transportation as a special edition salt box in Fall 2021.
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For charitable fundraising purposes, a designed image of the salt box is available on printed clothing and stickers, in support of the
Maryland based
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of distribution, variously described as barrels, bins and boxes, appear to have ended the practice in 2004, to the dismay of the county residents.
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The artist posted guidelines for acceptable alterations to city property to their website, and the community produced many more in a spontaneous
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113:'s own viral social media moment, reminding citizens to wear their face masks properly with the saying "Shorty, pull ya mask up".
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and sand for citizens to spread as needed to assist with traction and to prevent or melt icy patches on city streets.
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345:"'Pull ya mask up': Exchange between Baltimore mayor and activist gets national attention, inspires a remix"
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369:"A Baltimore artist has painted dozens of salt boxes across the city. Take a look at some of our favorites"
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319:"'They're Kind Of Everywhere': Baltimore's Streetside Salt Boxes Become Public Art Fixtures"
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They decided to spruce up a local box by adding decorative elements, thus creating
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Replicas of the salt box are available from the salt box artist in 3D printed
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104:. With growing attention by local media, the salt box story quickly became a
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396:"How a Forgotten Bit of Infrastructure Became a Symbol of Civic Pride"
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response. The salt box social media account launched a
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season, or to adopt a box for long term maintenance.
290:"Local Artist Turns Salt Boxes Into Works of Art"
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435:https://www.instagram.com/baltimore.saltbox/
179:and customizable labels, and a piggy bank.
442:https://ibreakplates.com/pages/salt-box
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212:Green, Andrew A. (January 20, 2004).
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317:Gessler, Paul (February 15, 2021).
98:Google Map of Baltimore Salt Boxes
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414:"The DOT Plans for the Saltboxes"
214:"Salt bin removal draws protests"
482:Street art in the United States
130:with salt box homages include
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447:https://baltimoresaltbox.com/
184:Moveable Feast (organization)
462:Transportation in Baltimore
394:Casey Cep (10 April 2022).
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109:safety, one box quotes
477:Public art in Maryland
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467:Culture of Baltimore
264:"Baltimore Salt Box"
375:. February 18, 2021
343:Condon, Christine.
268:The Broken Plate Co
239:"Baltimore Saltbox"
156:Baltimore Black Sox
111:Mayor Brandon Scott
49:The box is painted
30:is an example of a
418:Baltimore Salt Box
122:tributes to local
28:Baltimore salt box
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373:The Baltimore Sun
218:The Baltimore Sun
154:, as well as the
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74:COVID-19 pandemic
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144:Tupac Shakur
136:Cab Calloway
128:Baltimoreans
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167:Derivatives
152:John Waters
72:due to the
34:as used in
456:Categories
400:New Yorker
354:2021-04-19
199:References
117:Public Art
94:public art
78:street art
67:Other uses
16:Wooden Bin
379:April 18,
328:April 18,
243:Instagram
223:April 18,
160:Natty Boh
148:Tori Amos
44:road salt
36:Baltimore
299:11 April
273:11 April
248:11 April
191:coloring
40:Maryland
32:grit bin
189:A free
173:plastic
58:History
158:, and
140:Divine
381:2021
330:2021
301:2022
275:2022
250:2022
225:2021
177:zine
89:art.
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