Dumpsters throughout the University District got a new look this October when local artists involved in the Trash-to-Treasure 2.0 project painted murals on them. Credit: Sarah Koach | Lantern Reporter
Dumpsters throughout the University District got a new look this October from local artists.
Trash-to-Treasure 2.0 aims to create a more interesting and visually appealing place to live through dumpster murals, Nora Gerber, executive director of the University District Organization, said. According to the University District website, this project comes after the first round of murals, Trash-to-Treasure, in October 2019.
“It’s really just about placemaking,” Gerber said. “You’re able to engage local artists, and then, also, you’re able to have something that is fun to look at and is able to make a place more vibrant and in general more unique to live in.”
The University District Arts & Character Plan stated the purpose behind Trash-to-Treasure 2.0 is to help turn community-driven ideas and concepts into art that can be enjoyed by all. Using murals that are semi-permanent due to the wear and tear that comes with being on a dumpster allows artists to get exposure quickly.
“People walk by those dumpsters every day, and if you can have the opportunity to transform something like that, something that somebody walks by every day and have them do a double-take, that’s really cool,” Ash Pierce, the artist behind the Pearl Alley lightning bug mural, said.
Pierce said she was eager to work with a new type of canvas and create something whimsical.
“I chose the fireflies and the moon because it’s something that I really enjoy painting, and I think it’s something that other people enjoy,” Pierce said. “I really wanted to choose something that I knew would resonate with other people.”
Bryant Anthony, a contemporary street artist whose second Trash-to-Treasure mural featured an array of hearts on a white background, said he is hoping to do another mural for the project.
“Spread more love in a world that shows so little, that’s where the idea came from,” Anthony said. “People always take pictures — I’ve even seen people pose on top of the dumpster, which is mind-blowing.”
According to the University District website, Trash-to-Treasure 2.0 dumpsters are located in North and South clusters. The North cluster begins south of Northwood Avenue behind Kafe Kerouac and ends on East 18th Avenue behind McDonald’s.
The South cluster begins on 12th Avenue behind United Dairy Farmers and ends on Chittenden Avenue behind Plaza Mexican Grill & Bar, according to the University District website.
