A resident artist could
turn the dump into
a gold mine

This is scary. I have an idea I think is great, and at least three almost completely normal grown-ups agree with me. I say almost completely normal because two of them are involved in the artistic community, and the other is an environmental activist who is running for the state school board. The other thing that might put their near normalcy into question is the fact that they've agreed to let me tie them publicly to this idea.

Here's the idea: I think there should be an artist permanently assigned to Kailua dump. I'm not talking about a paint-and-easel artist who would create obscure yet meaningful pictures of dump trucks emptying out their smelly loads. I'm talking about an artist who would turn regular old rubbish into works of art that would be used to decorate public spaces and sold to support various private cleanup efforts.

The reason I picked the Kailua dump is because it's the only one I'm familiar with. I know that the burnable junk goes into the big transfer pit and the bulky items go into the Dumpsters. I know where the tires and computers and old refrigerators go. I'm sort of a dump connoisseur. When I'm at the dump, I see all kinds of cool stuff that people throw out that, in the hands of an artist, could probably be recycled into something you wouldn't mind having in your back yard. Or even your front yard.

The dump's large appliance disposal area already is artistic. The washers, dryers, refrigerators and stoves, piled around at various angles, look something like Stonehenge, were it sponsored by Sears.

I'M SURE THAT a permanent artist in residence at the dump, armed with the necessary artistic tools like a blowtorch, arc welder and duct tape, could make many works of art with castoff materials, not to mention put some money in his or her pocket. Some money raised could go to groups like the Windward Apuaa Alliance, which has been largely responsible for cleaning up Kapaa Quarry Road.

Environmentalist/school board candidate Shannon Wood calls the dump artist idea "fantastic" and means it. As one of the alliance's founding members, Wood says turning rubbish into art would remind people to recycle and provide some money to help catch illegal dumpers.

Nancy Young, an artist who, for reasons unknown, goes by the name of "Salt," was giddy when she heard the idea. "Wonderful things are thrown away!" she said. She already makes art out of "found objects" and views the dump as a gold mine of raw materials.

And Wei Fang, the Contemporary Museum's director of education programs, thinks a dump artist in residence would be great. For one thing, she's from San Francisco, where there's already such a program in place. In fact, there have been 43 artists in residence at the San Francisco Waste Transfer and Recycling Center since the program started.

I don't think finding an artist willing to put up with the unusual olfactory aspects of the dump would be a problem. I've been up there so many times, I've grown to kind of like the aroma. If you like the smell of this idea or would just like to help clean up the island, give Windward Apuaa Alliance a call at 247-6366.