There have been shelves of canned foods in grocery stores as long as there have been grocery stores. But as useful as they are in preserving food and inspiring Andy Warhol prints, cans are seldom seen as material for art.
On Saturday at the Coral Ridge Mall, architects will unlock some of canned food’s artistic potential, without even opening any of the cans.
CANstruction is a fundraiser for CommUnity Crisis Services’ food bank that pits teams of volunteers for the South East Iowa Architects Section against one another in a friendly competition building sculptures out of canned goods to raise awareness of food insecurity in Iowa, and help CommUnity fight it.
“CANstruction not only highlights the incredible talent of our local architects but also raises awareness about the issue of food insecurity,” Julia Winter, CommUnity’s Director of Development, said in a statement. “We’re excited to see the creativity that emerges from this event and to support our neighbors facing hunger through our partnership with Coral Ridge Mall, South East Iowa Architects Section, and Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition.”
CANstruction fundraisers have been taking place around the country since the Society for Design Administration held the first one in New York City in 1993, but this is the first time the competition has come to Johnson County.
Can-based construction takes place on Saturday, and the sculptures will remain on display through Friday, Nov. 15. After the sculptures are dismantled, the canned good will be donated to CommUnity’s food bank.
A panel will judge the sculptures in categories such as “Best Meal,” “Best Use of Labels,” “Most Cans” and “Best Original Design.” There will also be a “People’s Choice” award that the public can vote on while the sculptures are on display.
“The competition is sure to be fierce, so bring the whole family and put on your art critique berets because every vote counts,” CommUnity said.
