Ecotech Approach – AlexM

Community-based art projects created from trash as a way to attempt to clean our streets as a group together rather than as individuals.

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Background: In my hometown of Belfast, Maine, everywhere you walk in the downtown area you are sure to encounter art on the streets created by the various artists around. This is something that I have always liked about my community. There are also artists who focus on creating their projects solely out of trash, I can think of one such in my area, but there are also many examples of art created out of trash online as well. While thinking about how I could get as many people as possible willingly involved in clean up was proving to be a challenge until I remembered the art I always see in the streets of Belfast.

My idea is to combine the concept of art in our communities with the use of trash for creating it. Instead of individuals creating the art, the community does collectively. This puts the clean up of trash on a community level, encouraging everyone to grab the trash they see in order to add it to an art piece. The idea of being able to contribute to the art displayed around the community would motivate people to get involved. There can be multiple projects running in different areas simultaneously in order to shorten the distance people would need to carry the trash.

Explanation: There would be designated areas, preferably controlled by the town, for where the projects are run. There would be an area with running water with which one could clean or at least rinse off the nastier bits, and a bin for recycling just in case a piece of trash just won’t work out. Also, there would be an area for supplies such as glue and scissors to better put together the works of art.

Credits: The City of Belfast for inspiring me with its art in the streets.

Budget: Probably about $100/month per project paid by the city to maintain the art and provide supplies to put them together.