Stroudsburg Displays Dumpsters Painted by ESU Art + Media + Design Students

An influx of vibrant street art is brightening the community thanks to a collaboration with Stroudsburg Borough that saw East Stroudsburg University Art + Media + Design students channel their creativity into an unlikely source.

In partnership with the borough, students applied their artistry to 11 dumpsters that have been placed outside businesses throughout the downtown – a project that presented a one-of-a-kind opportunity for future artists to showcase their talents.

“We always like to show the value of connecting students with the community, collaborating and offering real-world opportunities for them to be able to show their abilities,” said Darlene Farris-LaBar, professor of Art + Media + Design and chair of the Art + Media + Design department.

For students mostly used to working on a much smaller scale, dumpsters were a challenging – but fun – canvas to work with.

“Being an artist is creating something for yourself and for others to enjoy, and this has been a very cool and very unique opportunity we were presented with to create something that will exist out in the community for everyone to see,” said Mikenna Buyze, who graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in integrated art + design.

Dempsey Langan, a fellow integrated art + design graduate, created a design for outside the Goat on Main restaurant on Main Street that featured an octopus with food and drinks in its tentacles. Langan said much of the 20+ hours he spent on the project were dedicated to preparation.

“It honestly doesn’t feel that long though because I’m having so much fun, but there was a lot of hard work,” he said.

For workers at the Goat on Main, Langan’s design was a welcome addition to an object many might consider an eyesore.

“Anything you can do to make things nicer is going to make people happier,” said Kyle Moucha, bar manager at Goat on Main. “The design we got really pops and fits what we’re doing here with our funky, art-centric vibe, and we’ve been getting a lot of cool attention from it.”

Each dumpster required hours of sanding to get the surface just right, then needed to be primed before painting could even begin. Due to the number of dumpsters and their size, students worked on their designs outdoors in a grassy area behind ESU’s Fine and Performing Arts Center.

Most students participated as part of their final projects for their Art 356 Painting II class, including several seniors who graduated in May but returned to campus to complete their designs due to stretches of rainy weather.

Others got involved through internships, independent study or clubs and organizations like the Artist Guild and Media Production Club. Students who design and build sets for ESU theatre productions also painted a dumpster.

Students worked individually, in pairs or as a group. Spring graduate Emily Brier and junior Jourdyn Whitehurst teamed up to create a nature-themed design for outside Ann Street Mart on Williams Street. Painted on the dumpster were deer, squirrels, raccoons and other critters common to the Pocono Mountains region.

“They’re essential to our area and to life, so I just wanted to show that and help erase the stigma some of these animals have,” Brier said.

“I wanted to do something that captured the area in a fun, colorful way, but in my own personal style,” added Whitehurst.

Students who also worked on the project were Ryan Ackerman, Iro Bonellis, Elina Braverman, John Capurso, Jessica Curzio, Cody Dominie, Kelsey Foy, Gregory Haberkern, Elizabeth Kilpatrick, Mason Higgins, Olivia Klein, Elaina Lembo, Mia Mendia, Aliyah Motley, Brianna Vongmany and Kalista Weed.

Josephine Coniglio, instructor of Art + Media + Design, led the complex logistics of the project. She helped recruit students, refined their designs and presented them to borough and university officials for review. She also helped secure materials that could be used effectively on a dumpster.

“This isn’t just working on a project that is going to a home or inside a business. This is a highly collaborative and highly creative opportunity, and we’re really proud of the work these students have done,” Coniglio said.

Students said the project was yet another way ESU helps position them for their future careers.

“As artists, ESU does a really good job of giving us opportunities to make a career out of this, which is very valuable and very important,” Whitehurst said. “By doing these dumpsters and having them in the community, I now have that exposure.”

Dumpsters can be found at these locations:

• Ryan Ackerman, Aliyah Motley & Brianna Vongmany – Keller Williams Realty – 404 Park Ave.
• Iro Bonellis – Italian American Club – 408 Main St.
• Emily Brier & Jourdyn Whitehurst – Ann Street Mart – 19 Williams St.
• Mikenna Buyze – Mixed business/residential – North 4^th & McConnell streets
• John Capurso, Cody Dominie & Gregory Haberkern – Cheers Beverage – 830 Monroe St.
• Jessica Curzio, Elizabeth Kilpatrick & Mia Mendia – United Way – 301 McConnell St.
• Kelsey Foy & Kalista Weed – Dunkelberger’s Sports Outfitters – 585 Main Street
• Mason Higgins & Olivia Klein – New Moon New You – 22 South 6^th St.
• Dempsey Langan – The Goat on Main – 500 Main St.
• Elaina Lembo – Subway – 136 North 9^th St.
• Kalista Weed – Tony’s Auto Repair – 826 Ann St.

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