A downtown utility box is getting a colorful new look thanks to the efforts of local artist Jessica Padgett and her daughter, Kathryn Beahm, a junior at Pershing County High School.
The pair recently began transforming a power box in front of Nanny Joe’s into a piece of public art celebrating Lovelock’s history, landmarks and community identity. Although the project may resemble some of the public art soon to appear around town, Padgett emphasized that it is not connected to the upcoming Music and Murals event.
“I have been wanting to do this power box for years and finally got the courage to ask the correct people to be able to do it,” Padgett said.
After receiving permission from NV Energy, which owns the box, and confirming with City Hall that no permits were required, Padgett purchased the materials herself and began work on the project.
The side facing the street features a rearing Mustang set against a colorful sky and mountain backdrop. The other sides incorporate additional Lovelock-themed images, including the Lovelock Cave, Lovers Locks and the Pershing County Courthouse.
“The Mustang is for the school spirit of our Mustangs,” Padgett said. “The Indian and the horse with the Lovelock Cave in the background is just that. I am also doing the Lovers Locks because everything is ‘Lock Your Love in Lovelock.’ The side my daughter is doing will feature a close-up of the courthouse, with all those amazing flowers she is adding around it. I just wanted to do kind of everything Lovelock on the box tastefully.”
Padgett said art has always been part of her life.
“I have always been artistic, grew up with it, took high school and college classes, and my sister is also a mural artist, so it kind of runs in the family, I guess,” she said.
While the project is separate from Music and Murals, it comes as Lovelock prepares to participate in the regional arts event for the first time. The event, which brings artists, musicians and community members together in towns along the Interstate 80 corridor, is scheduled for June 18–21. Public activities, including live music and mural painting, will take place June 19 and 20, with an invitation-only opening on June 18 and a wrap-up planned for June 21.
For Padgett and Beahm, however, the project is simply a labor of love and an opportunity to add a personal artistic touch to downtown Lovelock while highlighting some of the community’s most recognizable symbols.
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