WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — You always hear it driving down the street, but now there's a reason to look up when the trash truck goes by.
In West Columbia, six local artists' work is featured on sanitation trucks.
Ija Charles is a local, self-taught artist known for her murals.
"I would introduce myself as a muralist but I'm also a creator because I do mosaics, I paint on clothes," Charles said. "I do a little bit of everything."
She says her hometown inspires her art.
"When I was a kid, my mom actually used to take us to Riverfront and we would go to the Riverbanks Zoo. And we were just always hanging out in West Columbia, whether it be taking picnics or having just adventure walks out in nature."
She's one of six artists whose work is being featured on sanitation trucks in West Columbia.
Charles says the city contacted her and asked her to participate in the "public works of art" project.
"To know that that's driving around the city and that everybody is able to see that artwork," Charles said. "And say 'Ija Monet is on… on our trucks', like it just feels so good, because I'm always painting a wall."
West Columbia Mayor Tem Miles says the city was updating its sanitation fleet and saw an opportunity to showcase local artists.
"It was an opportunity for us to provide a central service but do so in a cool way to highlight some local artists and to put a nice spin on a central sanitation services."
The latest addition to the fleet features work from another local artist, Autumn Lily Leaphart.
"I am from West Columbia, born and raised," Leaphart said. "I've lived in West Columbia my whole life."
Like Charles, Leaphart says the community has helped shape her as a person and artist.
"Every time I come home, like I feel very supported," Leaphart said. "The art scene and all the artists that I've met in my time at USC and everything has really shown me how important people are here and how mutual the connection is with everyone around here."
For Leapheart, seeing her art displayed in a community that means so much to her is surreal.
"I got to make the art and then have it on the truck and then see it, and know that people are going to see it around," Leaphart said. "That meant a lot to me because it's just kind of- it's surreal a little bit. And it also just makes me really happy that people trust me enough as an artist to commission me for, you know, displaying my work across the area."
The city of West Columbia says the project aims to promote art, beautify the city, and continue its 'clean and safe' initiatives.