They line the streets of Cut Bank — but these aren't your average dumpsters. Local artists painted them with the goal of bringing art to unexpected places and giving the community something to be proud of.
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The project grew out of Cut Bank First Fridays, a monthly art class series that started because the small town didn't have a traditional gallery space.
"It was started because we didn't have any galleries in town, so you couldn't do, like, an actual gallery walk like you do in the big cities. And so it just started with classes," said Jessica Seifert, artist and organizer of Cut Bank First Fridays.
From those classes came a bigger idea — take the art outside. Organizers partnered with the City of Cut Bank to use dumpsters already in need of repair as the canvas. Artists volunteer by filling out an application and receive a four-hundred-dollar stipend to cover paint, supplies, and their time, funded through community grants and donations including the Cut Bank Community Foundation 2026 Community Grant.
Artist Shannon Johnson heard about the project and jumped at the opportunity.
"She told me about it and then she sent me the application," Johnson said.
Johnson has painted dumpsters two years in a row, drawn to the project by her love of local wildlife. This year, artists were challenged to incorporate geometric patterns into their work — something that pushed Johnson beyond her usual style.
"I kind of decided to stick with the buffalo for two years in a row," Johnson said. "It made me step out of my comfort zone. But I really liked it."
Fellow artist Kim Winchell approached the project from a different angle entirely — putting in roughly 35 hours on her dumpster despite not considering herself a traditional painter.
"I'm not an artist. I don't know how to paint buffalo, and I don't know how to paint scenery or people or animals — I'm more of a creative doodler, if you will," Winchell said with a laugh.
That is exactly the message she hopes people take away when they see her work on the street.
"What I'm hoping for is when people see my dumpster are like, oh, well, anybody can do that," Winchell said.
The community response has been overwhelmingly positive — businesses are already inquiring about getting their own dumpsters painted. Organizers are planning to paint four more next year, with placement focused on the north and south ends of town, near parks, and near schools.
Artists interested in applying or businesses interested in sponsoring a dumpster can reach out at cbfirstfridays@gmail.com or by calling Jessica Seifert at 406-224-8898.
