I installed my first piece of public art this month. It feels like a real quantifiable achievement to be able to show to everyone who asked why I decided to go to art school and what I was going to do with it.
The piece is called One Man’s Trash, and it responds to a statistic from the City of Boise’s Climate Action Roadmap that states the average amount of waste produced by each Boise household per month. That number is 138lb. The artists’ call tasked everyone with responding to this statistic in a way that comments on how it affects ecosystems and the climate. I immediately thought about the landfill, and upon doing more research, found that because of the seagull problem there, birds of prey had to be brought in to deal with them. The most prevalent of these birds of prey is the Cooper’s Hawk. So off I went, to make a Cooper’s Hawk with its nest perched atop a 138lb pile of trash. The eggs in the nest are also made of trash, to symbolize the baby birds being born into this ecosystem that has been forced upon them. I chose Monster cans specifically to comment on how humans are likely seen as monsters by all of the animals whom we’ve forced into ecosystems that are unnatural to them. The hawk still remains majestic, proud and protective of her nest despite her circumstances. She doesn’t seem to have much of a choice in the matter.
I probably put in about 100 hours on this thing. While also taking 5 classes. Having to do 3 other mediums and an art history class worth of projects in the meantime. 25 hours a week going to class alone. Another 5 hours of scheduled monitor time per week. Another 20 hours at school outside of class working on projects. 30 hours of work to pay my bills per week on top of that. That’s an 80 hour week, and I didn’t even count eating or sleeping.
Despite this, I still managed to pull straight As this semester. I am really proud of myself for that, and overwhelmed with gratitude to the City of Boise for not only choosing my work to represent them, but helping me along the way and believing in me.
REQUIRED SOCIAL COPY:
INTRODUCING… “One Man’s Trash” (2025), Boise’s newest Art Port, by Grace Ott!
Located on Grove Street between 10th & 11th streets, this temporary, two-year public artwork is made of repurposed steel, found metal objects, aluminum, and a touch of spray paint. Of this work, Boise artist Grace Ott, currently enrolled and working towards a bachelor’s of Fine Arts at Boise State University, says:
“One man’s trash is another bird’s home. This work serves as an introspective on the birds that adapt to our landfills and how their ecosystem has consequently evolved.”
Responding to the statistic from the City of Boise’s Climate Action Roadmap describing the average amount of waste from each Boise household per month, Ott’s work features a Cooper’s hawk on its nest atop a 138-pound pile of trash.
Boise’s Art Ports consist of plinths with universal mounting plates allowing for a temporary and continual rotation of sculptures for public display. Made possible through a partnership between the city’s Arts & History and Public Works departments, along with CCDC Boise, this program is part of CCDC’s Rebuild Linen Blocks on Grove Street project. These community-driven infrastructure and placemaking improvements support economic vitality and a stronger, more connected neighborhood.
Our sincere thanks to BSU Sculpture’s Associate Professor of Sculpture Lily Lee, Guho Corp, and Okland Construction for their assistance and support.
Photography by Wytske van Keulen.
九生 