Don't Give Up the Drip Rain Barrel Project

Rain Barrel Art Project

Don't Give Up the Drip is a community art and environmental project focusing on rain water and rain barrels.

The District, in partnership with Environment Erie, commissioned Erie County artists to design and create 51 rain barrels to be displayed throughout the 2016 summer/fall season. Each barrel is unique in design and approach, and artists are taking care to create barrels and seal them in a way that best withstands Erie weather, both UV rays and wind/rain.

Each barrel is sponsored by a local business and is displayed at their location. The barrels are fully functioning, with businesses intending to use the collected rain water for watering their landscaping, herb beds, and various other uses. 

Project Goal

The goal of this project was to educate the Erie community and visitors about the benefits and convenience of rain barrels and utilizing collected rain water. It is also the intention to showcase our local art talent and also highlight our unique and enthusiastic local businesses.

Many donors made this project possible; their generosity with goods and services is much appreciated.

Trolleyline Vineyards and Welchs donated the 55-gallon, food grade barrels. Bonnells Collision was gracious to apply adhesion promoter and primer to each barrel, making the work of the artists just a little easier. Good Ideas, Inc. is donating a pedestal for each barrel, making their visibility and use much easier. Birkmire Trucking was generous in their assistance with a truck and driver to transport the barrels to and from the Expo in March.

Funding from DEP, PACD, ErieBank, and the Erie Arts and Culture grant also made the possibility of this county-wide project a reality.

Please visit the facebook site 'Don't Give Up the Drip' for updates on barrel progress and a current list of sponsors and host sites.

Partners

Erie County Conservation District and EnvironmentErie have partnered with several other knowledgeable partners such as the Erie Art Museum, Tungsten Creative Group, DEP, PACD, and Erie Arts and Culture to fund this event and bring it to reality.

Sponsors

Of course, we are always grateful to our sponsors for their support for our projects and outreach to the community. Thank you to Bonnell's Collision for priming each barrel in preparation for the artists' work, and also to Good Ideas, Inc. for donating each pedestal in which the barrels stand. We are also appreciative of Birkmire Trucking to assist us in relocating each barrel to the Expo, and Eriebank for their financial assistance. A final thank you to Trolleyline Vineyards and Welch's for their donation of barrels! Because of our local sponsors and support, Erie County is able to take advantage of water conservation efforts and also enjoy the results of our local art talent!