Boombox Benefit ::: 10 Artist x 10 Nonprofits ::: UMOCA

Over the course of 4 months, Salt Lake-based ceramicist Horacio Rodriguez cast 10 porcelain boomboxes. Once molded and fired, each boombox was then passed to local artists—Lilian Agar, Andrew Alba, Fidalis Buehler, Hazel Rodriguez Coppola, Miguel Galaz, Jiyoun Lee-Lodge, Vicky Lowe, Andrew Rice, and Jorge Rojas––to paint and alter. Working in various mediums and styles, the artists collectively create an integrated and layered piece born from collaboration and exhibited at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, March 2023.

Before smartphones and Bluetooth speaker systems allowed near-constant access to music, boomboxes were vessels that could be carried anywhere to rouse listeners and take up space. Marked by their resoundingly heavy bass, boomboxes became an icon of 1980s street culture that could transform the mundane, offer entertainment, and act as a form of rebellion for carriers. Boomboxes were disruptors that both challenged and energized communities.