Trash(ed) art

Back in 2018, the city of Tucson commissioned five trash containers covered with murals. The idea was to reduce graffiti. We posted several photos on this blog. One was on November 9, 2018: Beautiful trash containers III. It showed a dumpster sitting at the curb on 12th Street next to Yosi's Creations florist and across a small parking lot from Taco Fish restaurant.

I stopped by on October 19, 2024 to check out Taco Fish. I saw the painted dumpster, which had been there for six years; I snapped this photo of the front and right sides. (I forgot to photograph the back.)

It's ugly now, but it brightened up a neighborhood that's not too photogenic. I wonder if the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona has considered making more — or already has? (Idea: The mural is worn off in the places where the dumptruck picks up the container. Maybe the mural design could allow for that — for instance, an empty area with rust-colored paint around it? Hmmm…)

Beautiful trash containers III

On February 5, 2016, the City of Tucson unveiled five metal trash containers that were painted with murals in an effort to reduce graffiti.  These containers were provided to businesses that have a high potential for graffiti and tagging.  Three of these containers have already appeared in the Tucson Murals Project at Beautiful trash containers and Beautiful trash containers II

Here is a fourth container found at Taco Fish on S. 12th Ave. and photographed on Sept. 25.  It was painted by Johanna Hand.

 Click on any of the photos for a slideshow of larger and sharper images.

We know where to find the fifth (and last) container and we will photograph it in the near future.

Update (November 6, 2024): Our post today, Trash(ed) art, shows this dumpster six years later.