Six of Sixteen Trash Corrals Completed in Ongoing Art Initiative

# Six of Sixteen Trash Corrals Completed in Ongoing Art Initiative

A collaborative art initiative to transform downtown trash corrals into vibrant murals has reached a significant milestone, with six of sixteen planned installations now complete.

The project began after one trash corral was decorated as part of an artwork alley pre-festival event, which inspired Leslie Bishop, executive director at SDI (Salina Downtown), to expand the concept throughout downtown.

"Leslie approached me and said, how can we get this project done?" said a representative from Salina Arts and Humanities. The initiative developed into a partnership between SDI, Salina Arts and Humanities, and the city of Salina Parks and Recreation Department.

Under the arrangement, the Parks and Recreation Department handles the deinstallation of old materials and prepares the panels for artists by priming them. SDI contributes funding for artist fees and materials, while the Community Art and Design Committee reviews artist proposals submitted through an open call.

"It creates a really rich and vibrant scene in the downtown, and it's just a way to engage local and regional artists into this space," explained a project coordinator. "It was a great idea to take something that already needed work. It was a prime surface for artists."

The initiative aims to complete two corrals annually. With two corrals finished in 2025, the total now stands at six completed installations, with ten remaining. Plans for the 2026 corrals are already underway, with the call for artists expected by the end of the year. One of the 2026 corrals may feature on-site painting during a festival.

Julie Cates, a downtown business owner who completed a corral behind her business last year, is currently working on another for 2025. She's collaborating with a young artist on the project.

"When kids get involved and area high school students can get involved, there's ownership. And then parents and aunts and uncles and grandparents want to come down and see what their kids have done," a spokesperson noted.

The current project features ocean animals and is being installed behind the market shop. Cates' young collaborator, an 11-year-old fifth-grader, expressed enthusiasm about the work: "Like just being able to walk around downtown and seeing my name that I've wrote on murals is just a really good feeling I can't describe."

Project organizers view the initiative as part of a broader goal to make downtown Salina a destination. "Our goal for downtown Salina is that downtown is a community for everyone," said a representative. "The ultimate goal is that when you want to do something in Salina, you come downtown and make it a destination."