Thanks to artists Yustina Salnikova and Joel Dean from Building 180, an all-inclusive art production and consulting agency that specializes in creating intricate art installations from start to finish, trash literally became treasure. On October 17, locals came together to honor the unveiling of the new Donner Lake sculpture, crafted from an unconventional source: a heap of trash retrieved from the depths of Donner Lake. A fish form emerged from the debris pile, fashioned from an amalgamation of anchors, sunglasses, boat bumpers, buoys, and traffic cones.
“All these pieces were waiting to become this fish,” Dean said. “The fact that we get to bring a piece of art to a place of such beauty and connectedness is really heartwarming.” Salnikova emphasized that the artwork was designed to honor the ecosystem. “This piece was about the cycle of life,” Salnikova said.
Clean Up the Lake, a non-profit dedicated to combating pollution globally, made the Donner Lake sculpture project possible. Through data collection, collaboration with scientists, research dives, and community engagement, they address pollution in lakes like Tahoe and Donner. They conduct scuba clean-ups and implement litter control strategies. Notable achievements include a human-powered Lake Tahoe circumnavigation, the largest trash clean-up in its history.