City editor Connor here. I was recently in downtown Plant City when a dumpster caught my eye. I don’t think that’s ever happened before, but this bright yellow trash bin behind the Krazy Kup coffee shop really was a work of art. After doing some dumpster diving digging online, I found out that it’s a street art piece by Victoria Creel for Plant City’s Trash Can-vas Project.
The project is a collaboration between the City of Plant City, Plant City Main Street, and MAKE Plant City. Funding mainly came from an Arts Council of Hillsborough County Community Arts Impact Grant. It’s not the only project the groups have worked together on — you’ll also find works of art adorning electrical boxes around downtown.
Lakeland Water Utilities tapped Gaby’s Art Gallery for these water meter paintings on Kentucky Avenue.
Photo by @gabysartgallery
This got us thinking: could Lakeland use something like this? Our town may be known for its many murals, but will we ever run out of wall space? That part may be a stretch, but local government entities like the Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency have funded similar arts projects in the past:
- Dixieland Art Infusion Program, which added several murals down South Florida Avenue
- Midtown Mini Murals on the walls outside Talbot House Ministries
- Tapestries Lakeland, which saw dozens of temporary art pieces around downtown
- Lakeland Water Utilities’ water meter street art
We’re thinking of other unexpected spots around town for some vibrant street art. Maybe the trash cans in downtown could be brightened, or the green electrical boxes around Lake Morton could get spruced up.
Think outside the canvas and tell us where you’d like to see art infused around Lakeland.
