Meet the Artists of Main Street’s ‘Downtown Dumpster Art Project’
UNION CITY, TENN. – Main Street Union City has recently chosen the artists to paint the remaining dumpsters for the downtown district for this season. The design committee reviewed 16 great applications and narrowed it down to three artists from the local region: Jai-Chandler Mathis, Dylan Schaefer and Angela Chesteen-Stough.
Jai-Chandler Mathis grew up in Northwest Tennessee. After studying at the Savannah College of Art and Design, she left Atlanta with a degree in hand and headed back home to put her skills to work in the place that raised her.
Mathis mixes design know-how with a storyteller’s spark, creating work bold enough to grab your eye but human enough to stick to your heart. From small-town storefronts to international projects, her work carries one through-line: art isn’t meant to sit on a pedestal. It’s meant to be used, shared, and maybe even a little scuffed up. For Mathis, making is about connection, not perfection. And around here, connection is the best kind of beautification there is.
Dylan Schaefer is a 26-year-old artist from Milan, Tennessee. He graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin with a bachelor’s in graphic design in 2022. Schaefer currently works as Discovery Park of America’s graphic designer. Main Street officials asked Schaefer, “Did you ever think you would paint a dumpster in your career?” He responded, “I’ve done a lot of paintings in my art career, but never on a dumpster. Thank you, Union City, for giving me this unique mural experience.”
Angela Chesteen-Stough is a 32-year-old Obion County native and mixed media artist with a passion for creating fun, vibrant designs filled with bold colors. While she works in retail to support her family, her true passion lies in art. Whether she’s painting, drawing, or taking on DIY projects, she finds joy in expressing herself through creativity.
As a wife and mom to two incredible boys, Chesteen-Stough’s art is deeply influenced by family life and the world around her. Outside of creating, you’ll usually find her spending time with loved ones, exploring new places, gardening, or getting lost in a good book.
“Main Street’s design committee was very impressed by the local talent we have right here in Union City and Obion County when reviewing the submitted designs,” said Katie Graves, executive director for Main Street Union City. “They had a tough decision to make when choosing the top three out of the 16 incredible applications.”
The criteria artists were encouraged to include in their designs were downtown buildings, community togetherness and other nods to Union City and Obion County. Main Street officials are excited to see the artists use their gift of design and painting to add pops of color to the downtown district in a unique way.
Graves said the completion date for these dumpsters is at the end of September. Community members can look on Main Street’s Facebook and Instagram for updates and the finished projects, and then come explore downtown Union City and find all five painted dumpsters. The first two were completed earlier this year by Union City High School students in Hilary Webb’s art class, and by Abi Hellmich, owner of The Art Room by Abi in downtown Union City.
This project was made possible by Tennessee Valley Authority and Platform Waste Solutions.
For more information about Main Street and the revitalization efforts happening in downtown, please visit mainstreetunioncity.com.
