The Melrose Business Improvement District (BID) will spring to life on Sunday, March 1 when some of the city’s top street artists participate in a day of live painting throughout the district.

Each artist will present their own interpretation of an animal theme as they paint more than 16 electrical boxes along Melrose Avenue, from Fairfax to Highland avenues. The BID’s first public art project celebrates the area’s standing as one of the preeminent hubs for world-class street art and creates a new outdoor exhibit for visitors to enjoy when they come to shop, dine or hang out on Melrose Avenue, members said.

The project, called the Melrose Menagerie, is being curated by local artist Jennifer Korsen, who has reached out to many of the city’s top street artists to make this day special, she said.

The BID will be holding an Instagram contest on Sunday. Anyone taking pictures of all 16 boxes and posting them with the hashtag #MelroseMenagerie will have a chance to win a special Melrose Avenue prize.

“We are thrilled to launch our initial public art project on Melrose Avenue,” said Donald Duckworth, BID executive director. “This is the first of many programs we will be announcing in the coming months that celebrate the artistic spirit of Melrose Avenue and its unique place in the city as a creative hub. We look forward to an exciting day of live painting throughout the BID on Sunday, and hope everyone can join us.”