Trash Cans as Public Art

If your notion of a trash can is simply that of an everyday utilitarian product, you should take a look at what the non-profit known as the Steel Yard has been working on for the past few years. As part of its Urban Furniture program, the Steel Yard, based in a 5600 SF industrial space in Providence, Rhode Island, collaborated with local artists to design and fabricate a series of distinctive steel trash cans (along with a number of other street-based art/products), in an effort to revitalize and beautify the Industrial Valley district within the city. Working with the Olneyville Housing Corporation, the organization sought to create aesthetically beautiful (as well as thought provoking) works of art and function, that would aid in improving the neighborhood of Olneyville, while at the same time elevating the public dialogue of what it means to be a community in transition.

(All photographs courtesy of Steelyard’s flickr gallery)

On one level, what the Steel Yard has done with this project, is demonstrate how a community of diverse populations, vocations, etc, can come together to essentially “unify” a city, even if one neighborhood at a time, and how this can be done through the installation of functional “street art”. If urban living does eventually become the norm, it is all the more reason to make our urban spaces more enjoyable and livable, and hopefully more cities will realize that something as simple as a trash can presents an accessible way to achieve that. And to do so through creative collaboration, is surely a testament to how strong a community like Olneyville has already become.

Finding Solutions

Finding Solutions from Mark Dworkin on Vimeo.

Since 1987, Moving Images Video Project has produced and distributed television documentaries that encourage peace, justice, and environmental preservation. This video is a preview for a series of documentaries about real solutions to environmental and social sustainability. In a time when sustainability is a catchphrase, some people really are discovering more earth-friendly ways to live, grow food, and do business for example while being more respectful of our environment and improving lives.

Finding Solutions is a a documentary series on sustainability. It’s a presentation of stories about people and societies, highlighting individuals who have found better, greener and more improved ways to live. Covered in the segment are case studies including Curitiba, a city in southern Brazil considered to be one of the most sustainable cities in the world. Kerala, a state in India known for its high standard for health and society. Farmers markets in North America, where farmers are rediscovering that organic methods are actually better all around. Sophisticated industrial cooperatives in Italy are creating serious competition for big international corporations while providing good employment and offering the highest standard of living in the country.

Moving Images Video Project is a non-profit corporation based in Washington state.