Tenderloin Getting 68 New Trash Cans With Art From Transgender Cultural District Artists
Image: Tenderloin CBD via Twitter
We find what joy we can from the little things as coronavirus has decimated out meetups and gatherings, particularly as we do not have an in-person SF Pride this June. But there will be a gratifying commemoration this June of the Tenderloin’s legacy in the modern-day trans rights movement, and as a bonus, puts more trash cans in a neighborhood that sorely needs them. The Tenderloin Community Benefits District is putting 68 new trash cans to the Tenderloin’s blocks — one on nearly every corner — all with original artwork by local artists, and many artists who are residents of the Transgender Cultural District.
We’re bringing a working trash can to nearly every corner in the TL w @TLCBD, displaying local art in partnership with the Transgender Cultural District. Seems super basic and common sense because it is, and long overdue. Step by step. https://t.co/WqY5Oplqas
— Matt Haney (@MattHaneySF) June 16, 2020
KPIX refers to these cans as “smart trash cans,” which may be something of an exaggeration. But these Bigbelly trash cans do compact the waste so they can hold more, and it is difficult to pull trash out of them, which means less rubbish on the streets.
Today we begin the biggest ever deployment of Big Belly trash cans in SF, with 68 new cans in the TL
I prioritized & directly secured funding for these & partnered w @TLCBD & others to deploy.
They will feature local artists, incl artists from the Transgender Cultural District. pic.twitter.com/jXkM6aPHrh
— Matt Haney (@MattHaneySF) June 15, 2020
“The Tenderloin, unfortunately, has become well known for dirty streets and sidewalks,” Sup. Haney told the Examiner. “What people there have been saying all along is: ‘Give us trash cans and bathrooms and we can help keep our neighborhood clean.’ You can walk for blocks in the Tenderloin and not find a trash can. And many of the trash cans there are broken or overflowing. It’s a huge problem.”
“The reality is the city has not made as intentional of a commitment to maintaining the Tenderloin as they do with other neighborhoods. This is a big step in the right direction.” said Aria Sa’id, ED, co-founder of Compton’s Transgender Cultural District”https://t.co/e9OJIMDAJv
— Matt Haney (@MattHaneySF) June 16, 2020
The above piece is by neighborhood trans woman artist Wriply Bennet. “When people see my art in the neighborhood, I want them to experience joy and wonder,” Bennet said in a statement to the Examiner. “I want them to see themselves and loved ones. I want them to not only see the past, but the future as well, and all its possibilities. I want them to feel seen. And loved.”
According to Haney, the new trash cans “are expected to be fully deployed within a month,” and will feature works by Bennet, Tan Sirinumas, Sylvester Guard, and Crystal Vieula.
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