Alyssa Casey -

Balfour Packing Shed and Liberty Basketball

Two painted utility boxes, 56 x 56 x 27 in and 56 x 44 x 27 in, respectively

Commission from the City of Brentwood, California

Awarded a "Certificate of Recognition" by Jim Frazier, member of the assembly, 11th district, California State Legislature

Balfour Packing Shed at Balfour Rd. and Fairview Ave.

Liberty Basketball at Sunset Rd. and Garin Parkway

Balfour Packing Shed and Liberty Basketball are both hand painted reproductions of photographs from the collection of the East Contra Costa Historical Society. Balfour Packing Shed shows agricultural workers joyously running across the dry yard of one of the seven Balfour, Guthrie, and Company packing sheds that once dotted the Brentwood landscape; they are seen leaving work for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Liberty Basketball shows the 1921 Liberty Union High School girls’ basketball team. Located at the gate of Sunset Park, the work simultaneously harkens back to the roots of Brentwood’s athletic and recreational past while inspiring passersby - especially young girls - to pick up a sport be it basketball, baseball, etc.

Both images transform the street by providing a mysterious and eye catching image to attract passersby while simultaneously reconnecting the citizens of Brentwood with the history of their town.

This work was a very special opportunity as my parents, John and Jody Casey, grandparents, Billie and Bearl Casey and Rita Dell’Immagine, and aunt and uncle, Mary and Jerry Black, all live in Brentwood; my parents graduated from Liberty High school and my grandmother, Billie, worked in agriculture. I'd like to thank my dad for helping me prime and hang the stencils, both of my parents for checking on me and bringing me tea and lunches, and my grandmother, Billie, for helping me put up the tedious stencil, piece by piece, of Balfour Packing Shed. I couldn't have done this without all of you!

I would also like to thank Leslie Bemel, Rosalinda Grejsen, Cindy Lee, Poldina Scherff, Pamela Tabel, and Brian Carleton of the City of Brentwood Arts Commission, Kathy Leighton for giving permission to draw from the photos belonging to the collection of the East Contra Costa Historical Society, Carol A. Jensen, author of "Brentwood" from the "Images of America" series published by Arcadia Publishing - where I first encountered the images - who kindly informed me as to the history and location of the originals, and Sherwin Williams on Balfour and Fairview for their generous support.

Press:

Artists painting utility boxes in Brentwood

Brentwood utility boxes become canvas for artists

Local artists transform utility boxes for Brentwood's cityscape

My grandparents, Billie and Bearl Casey, at the East Contra Costa Historical Society telling me about the history of Balfour, Guthrie, and Company with a print of the original photo on the wall above.

My father, John Casey, helping me place the first stencil.

Carefully removing the hand cut stencils from their backing.

My grandparents dropping by to visit and helping to place the large stencils.

Balfour Packing Shed, detail, north side

north east corner

west side

Original photo inspiration for Liberty Basketball, from the collection of the East Contra Costa Historical Society

south west corner

east side

Drawn stencil used for the west side of Balfour Packing Shed. Each little piece was removed and then replaced as each different value of rusty red brown was rolled on.