Pittsburgh City Paper has found a second life for the metal boxes that once held its print editions on street corners across the city. The publication has launched an Adopt a Box program that converts former newspaper distribution boxes into public art pieces, reinstalling the decorated boxes in public areas rather than letting them sit forgotten in storage.
The idea grew out of necessity as much as creativity. After City Paper temporarily suspended operations at the start of 2026, the company discarded many of its former distribution boxes, according to WPXI. Instead of letting the remaining boxes go to waste, the paper is giving them to local artists to reimagine as standalone art installations placed around town.
Artist Phil Seth created the first five boxes for the initiative, the station reports, and one of them now sits at the corner of Forbes and Murray avenues in Squirrel Hill. That intersection, a busy commercial strip in the neighborhood, gives the piece plenty of foot traffic and visibility as the program gets off the ground.
A New Revenue Stream Built on Local Sponsorship
City Paper president Chris Maury framed the program as a win on multiple fronts. Sponsorship funds the paper's ability to draw attention and pays a local artist to create public art for the community, Maury said, per the station's report. The arrangement gives local businesses an alternative promotional channel while supporting neighborhood artists, he added.
Maury also pitched the sponsorships as a cost-effective marketing tool for local organizations, saying they can gain attention for their business and brand without paying Facebook, while supporting local art. Sponsorships remain available for local organizations looking to fund additional boxes, and organizers plan to expand the project across Pittsburgh and surrounding communities as more sponsors come on board, the outlet notes.
Building on a Decade-Old Tradition
The Adopt a Box program is not City Paper's first experiment with turning its street furniture into canvases. Back in 2012, the paper's ArtBox project commissioned ten artist-designed newspaper boxes to be built and placed around town, inviting readers to vote for their favorite with the winning artist offered $500. By 2014, City Paper was running its third annual ArtBox project, again asking local artists to turn newspaper boxes into works of art, and selecting ten finalists whose decorated boxes went up on streets citywide.
The concept has also popped up well beyond Pittsburgh. In Boston's Allston neighborhood, eight aqua blue newspaper boxes line Western Avenue as part of Zone3's Art in Print program, each stocked with posters by local artists that passersby can buy for a quarter, according to Boston.com. That program has showcased work from 236 local artists since it began in October 2018. One of Allston's old Improper Bostonian boxes even became a Little Free Record Shop after a local TV reporter repurposed it in June 2023, the outlet reports.
Part of a Larger Comeback Story
The Adopt a Box launch comes as City Paper works to rebuild after a rocky stretch. The publication ceased operations after 34 years in print, 90.5 WESA reported in early January. LocalMatters later acquired the paper and said it would return the publication to readers both online and in print, with plans calling for a return to print beginning with monthly issues, according to LocalMatters.
For now, the painted boxes scattered around Squirrel Hill and beyond stand as a small, visible sign that City Paper's presence on Pittsburgh street corners hasn't disappeared entirely, even if the format has changed from newsprint to paint.
