OCEAN CITY — The Art League of Ocean City is seeking sponsors for the 2018 “Art CAN Clean Beaches” campaign, where local businesses and individuals have an opportunity to adopt a beach trash can and personalize it.
The program is entering its second year after a successful pilot summer in 2017 where 30 beach trash cans were vinyl-wrapped with art and sponsor logos. All 30 art cans survived the tourists, the weather and “the beast” trash truck that grabs the cans in the middle with a metal arm.
“It really was impressive; not one piece of artwork was scratched at all,” said Ocean City Councilman Tony DeLuca, who spearheaded the program’s early efforts. “The beach is our biggest asset. The hope is the cans will draw attention to how important it is to keep our beaches clean.”
Last November, the council voted unanimously to expand the program for the 800 barrels that line the beach in the summer.
DeLuca and the Ocean City Green Team developed the Art Can Clean Beaches program in 2017 as a way to remind beachgoers that trash belongs in the receptacles and not in the sand. The Art League of Ocean City took the reins, soliciting original artwork from local artists for the cans and winning a $5,000 grant through the Maryland Environmental Trust’s Clean-Up and Green-Up Maryland.
“We’ll decorate as many trash cans as we can find sponsors for,” Rina Thaler, executive director of the Art League, said. “It would be a beautiful site to see the entire beach lined with these colorful cans that will encourage visitors to clean up and pick up. Beachfront businesses can sponsor a can in front of their stores to show their commitment to the beauty of our seaside. Individuals can celebrate a special occasion or honor a loved one in a unique way.”
Sponsorships cost $260 per can or $750 for three cans. The Maryland Coastal Bays program receives $10 of the sponsorship money for clean-up efforts. Since the Art League is a nonprofit organization, the sponsorships are tax deductible.
The campaign hopes to have sponsors lined up by the beginning of May in order to get the customized trash cans on the beach by Memorial Day.
Individuals and businesses who want to sponsor a beach trash can contact Elaine Bean of the Art League of Ocean City at [email protected] or 410-524-9433.