Artist Kirkland Smith shows town-commissioned artwork made from discarded plastic

Kirkland Smith, the artist commissioned by Fort Mill Township, presented a work made from discarded plastics that she said is intended to prompt questions about disposable waste and its effects on the environment.

A town presenter opened the session saying they were “really excited about this piece of art” and identified Kirkland Smith as the artist commissioned for the town. Smith described shifting from painting to assembling materials after entering an environmental-landscape competition in 2008. “It would make a much bolder statement if instead of painting something, I actually used material and created what looked like a painting when you hang on the wall and you step back,” Smith said.

Smith told attendees the installation is still a work in progress: the piece is on the floor and “has not yet been glued down,” so the assembled image can be hard to read when viewed up close. To help viewers see the intended composition, Smith said her husband used an iPad to display a photo of the piece taken just before the event.

The presentation highlighted a community-engagement element: Smith has worked with a preschool program, and children brought raw materials to contribute to the work. She said some children were reluctant to part with items but that, once placed in the piece, those items “get to live in this piece, and they can visit it anytime they want.”

Organizers and the artist framed the installation as an environmental prompt about everyday choices—particularly single-use plastics—and as a local participatory art project. The work was shown at the event but remains unfinished and not yet affixed; no further timeline for final installation was stated.