SANDPOINT — Three silver boxes are now posted on the corners of Oak and Church streets between Fourth and Fifth avenues.

Dubbed the Silver Box Project, City Council approved the Sandpoint Arts Commission’s request in April to install the stainless steel boxes, which will be used to mount art sculptures selected for temporary display.

“This project offers an opportunity for year-round creativity and independent discovery by all ages and populations,” Arts Commission member Ffion Soltis told council members when the project was initially introduced.

The Silver Box Project is a city-wide, on-loan art competition of annually rotating sculptures, For each round of featured art, the community will be invited to vote on the selected works for the “People’s Choice” award, which will entail cash prizes to the winning artists.

The project was initially planned for location by City Beach, at the trailhead for the Sand Creek, but commission members told council they felt the location was cramped, and would likely only be viewed by users of the path. The chosen locations by Farmin Park, the post office and the Columbia Bank building will not only be available for viewing by pedestrians, but vehicle traffic as well.

Though they won’t feature artwork for several months, the boxes were installed about two weeks ago, featuring panels designed locally by Year Round Co. The fabrication and installation was also completed locally by Mountain Metals, LLC.

The first call for artists is planned for this winter, and sculpture installations are slated for the spring of 2019.

“The Silver Box Project is an exciting addition to the city of Sandpoint’s art program,” Sandpoint Arts commissioner Megan Cherry said in statement. “Projects like this are great for building community interaction with art, both because of the central locations and because the public is invited to vote for ‘People’s Choice’ awards. For the artists involved, the Silver Box Project represents a paid opportunity to exhibit their work in some of the busiest parts of this art-loving city. Sandpoint’s art collection is growing, and it is great to see the Arts commission’s focus on community engagement and the creation of professional avenues for artists.”

Aaron Qualls, Sandpoint planning and economic development director, said the Silver Box Project was Cherry’s last as a Sandpoint Arts Commissioner, as she has accepted a job as the arts program manager for the city of Moscow.

“Megan’s professionalism, creative spirit and experience will be missed but I am very happy for her and proud that her service to Sandpoint has, in part, led to an exciting position with the city of Moscow,” Qualls said in the statement. “They are lucky to have her.”

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.