Art supply donation drive to celebrate “Collection Point”

The City’s new facility for Solid Waste & Recycling services in Northeast Minneapolis Arts District is also home to “Collection Point,” a new public artwork. To celebrate, the City is holding an art supply donation event.

“Collection Point” was recently completed and installed at the southeast corner of the East Side Storage and Maintenance Facility, at 351 26th Ave NE. Inspired by the many seen and unseen collections within Northeast, artist Randy Walker designed and assembled this towering piece using, among other things, concrete casts of the lids of City recycling receptacles. His sculpture stands alongside bicycle and pedestrian trails, and is surrounded by a rain garden and native
plants.

While the pandemic is preventing a traditional public unveiling of “Collection Point,” the theme of collections that influenced the piece is prompting a collecting of donated art supplies for local organizations. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, art supplies for Edison High School’s Fine Arts Department and the ROHO Collective will be collected. The artist and Council Member Kevin Reich will be on hand to greet people as they drop off donations. Contact-less drop off will be available. The first 50 participants who drop off art supplies will receive a reusable “I love Minneapolis Recycling” Chico Bag. Recyclo Superhero activity and coloring books from Hennepin County for Kids will also be available.