Committee approves plan to wrap downtown trash compactors with Bangor High student art

The Infrastructure Committee on Feb. 19 agreed to replace the promotional panels on six Big Belly trash compactors with artwork produced by Bangor High School students and to seek permission to include student names on the pieces.

Committee members heard from Aaron Hootery of Public Works, who described the Big Belly units as sealed, self‑compacting receptacles with indicators that show when a unit is full. Hootery said the six units each have two 30‑by‑18 panels and that engineering purchased three units several years ago while Public Works purchased three last year.

City staff proposed replacing the vendor marketing panels with artwork provided by the Bangor High School visual and performing arts program. Jefferson Davis, the city engineer, said the idea originated from a conversation with Eric Hutchins, the department chair, and that Hutchins had already incorporated the project into class curriculum and supplied artwork samples.

Students who contributed works sent short statements included in the meeting materials. One student, identified in materials as Juliana, wrote that sharing her artwork "allows me to engage with others and express my creativity." Student Parker Poulin described drawing a black bear and including a whoopie pie as elements that "represent our state." Ryan Warrick wrote that seeing student art downtown could "remind [people] of the students who made the art and the people who care enough to put such attention and effort into the art to make downtown a better area."

Committee members moved and seconded staff's request to apply the student art to the panels and to rotate artwork as new work becomes available. The committee directed staff to proceed; minutes indicate the three new trash cans will be placed at Hammond and State and at Central Street and Franklin Street within a week. Staff said they would print the students' names and "Bangor High School" on the bottom of each panel with the student’s permission.

The committee flagged the need to obtain permission from students and families before adding names; staff recorded that names would be included "with their permission." No formal objections were recorded on the record.

For rollout, staff will coordinate permissions and the production of replacement panels. The project is limited to aesthetic panels and does not change the compactor units' function or capacity.