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Spurlock Sunday: What Turns You On?—Designing Light Switch Covers
When: Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Where: Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, 600 S. Gregory St., Urbana, IL, 61801 — Urbana, IL
Price: Free
Something excites you; turns you "On." This is not trivial information. Whatever it is, it can influence your mood, your motivation, your insecurities and anxieties, your vision of the future, and your resolve. Could there be a more fitting place to remind yourself of "it" than on a light switch cover?
Light switch covers, also known as switch plates, serve a practical purpose: they provide a protective enclosure around electrical switches and help safeguard individuals from electric shock. Yet over time, they have evolved beyond their purely functional role. What was once a simple protective shield has become a kind of micro-canvas—an opportunity for personal expression, interior design, memory, and pop culture fandom.
The designs of switch covers have often reflected the aesthetic trends of their era. Earlier examples were frequently made from more expensive and durable metals, whose materials and finishes complemented architectural hardware and interior décor. As push-button switches gradually gave way to the more efficient toggle switch by the mid-20th century, molded plastic became an increasingly common and utilitarian material. Although light switch covers are generally not considered high-value antiques, their condition, rarity, age, and distinctive designs can give them collectible appeal, particularly for those drawn to vintage home décor and retro aesthetics.
Electricity is unseen, a means to an end, known only through its effects. In much the same way, the forces that inspire and animate us are often unseen. They serve as internal muses that remind us to remember, reimagine, reinvent, reconfigure, resist, persevere, and resolve to do it again and again. What—or where, or who—electrifies you? What illuminates your path, enables you to see more clearly, energizes or recharges you? Perhaps the things that turn us "On" deserve to be noticed, named, and commemorated.
All supplies will be provided (i.e. switch plate covers, adhesives, used magazines). Please bring small artifacts, original or copied images, or printed literature you're interested in using.
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