Artsplosure is an annual festival that celebrates the arts, and brings the community together to improve the quality of life through a cultural environment – the perfect event to unveil Wake County’s 86it Anti-Litter Movement’s “Respect the Can-vas” trash cans.
Through the support of Artspace, nine local artists and a high school contest winner were selected to paint industrial trash cans. Their charge was to transform them into functional pieces of art that would entice people to 86 (throw away) their trash.
“We were delighted to participate in such an important event. Unveiling the Can-vases at Artsplosure was a great success. The Can-vases drew a lot of attention from Artsplosure attendees – young and old,” said Mary Poole, executive director, Artspace. “People were really excited about the idea and interested in learning about the campaign and where the Can-vases would travel next. And the artists who participated in the project said that it was a great experience and that they loved seeing the completed Can-vases all together.”
Following Artsplosure, the Can-vases will go on exhibit at the county’s libraries, and then move into the RBC Center just in time for hockey season. Keep an eye out for them and make sure you show your Wake County pride and 86 your trash – Respect the Can-vases.
“Unlike the typical, finger-pointing anti-litter campaign, the 86it Anti-Litter Movement celebrates positive behavior. We felt the perfect way to accentuate that commitment was to surround ourselves with beauty and art – that’s where the idea to turn trash cans into pieces of art was borne. From Paul Friedrich’s rendering of the logo and our mascot Chuck, to Paperhand Puppet Intervention’s mask of Chuck to the most recent Can-vases painted by local artists, the 86it Movement continues to march to the beat of a prideful Wake County. And that’s the kind of movement we want to start,” shared Beverly Murray, president of R+M.
About R+M
R+M creates experiences that get people talking about brands that positively impact our health, well-being and social responsibility. The agency’s whole-brand approach leverages traditional tactics alongside unconventional approaches that connect our clients with their customers. Though the agency has garnered its share of local and national recognition, it’s most proud of its passion for hunger relief and prevention, encouraging kids to be active and getting client high fives for making marketing budgets act twice their size. Get activated at rmagency.com.
About the 86it Anti-Litter Movement
In 2008, the Wake County Board of Commissioners adopted a goal to address roadside litter in Wake County, N.C. Wake County Environmental Services launched the 86it Anti-Litter Movement in January 2011 to thoughtfully engage citizen participation and support for a litter-free Wake County. Learn more about the movement and how to become an 86er by visiting www.86it.com.
About Artspace
Artspace is a nonprofit visual art center dedicated to providing arts education and community outreach programs, creating an environment of more than 100 professional artists and presenting nationally acclaimed exhibitions. Located in downtown Raleigh in the historic Sanders Ford building, Artspace has been providing the community with the opportunity to interact with working artists and to participate in hands-on arts education since 1986. For more information about Artspace, exhibitions or membership, visit www.artspacenc.org.