Trash canvas project returns to Stevens Point
By Taylor Hale
STEVENS POINT – CREATE Portage County’s trash canvas project is back this year with new artists and designs.
The program is to turn downtown trash cans into functional pieces of art. The submission deadline for artists was June 1, and while some cans are still blank and waiting for their moment to shine, some artists have completed their cans, or are in the process of putting the final touches on.
“I’ve been coming down here for about two weeks to paint mine,” said artist Krystyna Eiden.
Eiden is a Stevens Point local with an arts degree from UWSP. She spent several years in Poland before returning to Wisconsin to graduate from Pacelli high school.
“In Poland, the high schools have different focuses, so I went to a school for arts while I was there,” she said.
Eiden’s design is centered on Native American culture. Her detailed mural is one of many that are set to line Main Street this summer. CREATE started the trash canvas project roughly three years ago, and Eden has painted every year.
“I’ve done this from the start,” Eiden said. “The canvass brings something unique and colorful downtown. It brings some life.”
Eiden recently illustrated a book titled As the Wolf Dreams, a collection of Native American poems. She has also illustrated other books throughout her 25 plus years as an artist, including her mother’s book about growing up in war-torn Poland, Litka. Both books are available to purchase at the Lincoln Center in Stevens Point, located at 1519 Water Street.
The trash canvas project gives artists a chance to show their skills in a public setting.
To learn more about CREATE Portage County and its community efforts, visit: Createportagecounty.org.