Kansas City, Missouri 
John Salvest an Artist has created a structure of Artwork out of 20 ft and 40ft shipping containers that is meant to relay a message. The artwork is composed of six letters but utilizes 117 shipping containers seven stories high and fifteen 40ft shipping containers across. The cargo containers stacked at this volume has to be able to sustain 90 mph winds. One side of it reads, “USA” and on the other side of it says, “IOU” The message, John Salvest is trying to convey is one that will “awaken some thinking and feelings about the current economic situation.”
This project using 20’ and 40’ shipping containers otherwise known as Cargo containers was an extremely specialized project. The project is located near Liberty Memorial in Penn Valley Memorial Park, located conveniently next to the Kansas City Federal Reserve. In creating this project the amount of work involved was astronomical. There had to be Police and police dogs there around the clock to ensure safety and make sure there were no hazardous materials bombs etc. in the 40ft shipping containers seeing it would be so close to the Federal Reserve. The work in getting it set up required many workers as well. Many people ask where the money came from for such a project, well we can rest assured, there was no public tax money involved. The funding came from a non-profit that supports artwork in the city.
Many companies in the Kansas City area were key players taking part in renting of the 40ft shipping containers for the project as well as assisting in the setting up of the project. Grand Arts consulted with American Trailer and Storage (AT&S) to learn about shipping containers, their specifications and limitations, stacking, safety and the possibilities that storage containers bring to the project. AT&S is company that specializes in the sale and rentals of cargo shipping containers and storage trailers Kansas City MO . They assisted the artists and riggers providing information about shipping/storage container specifications and the general industry. They also played a big part in donating many of the 40ft containers that were used in the project.
Because current demand is so high for AT&S’ equipment, they were not able to provide containers for the project. Several other companies were able to provide equipment, A Box 4 U in Wichita, KS, Mather Rentals / Topeka Storage Containers of Topeka, KS and Action Rentals of Springfield, MO were among the providers. Belger Cartage of Kansas City, MO provided crane and rigging service to stack the containers. Terminal Consolidation and Kansas City Piggyback of Kansas City, KS provided local depot and drayage support.
This vast art project is getting a lot of attention, not only due to its main medium using 20 foot and 40 foot shipping containers, but because the small message of just six letters is a potent message that makes us think about the state of our economy. In speaking to the people of Kansas City, Artist John Salvest hopes this message reaches Ben Bernanke, President Obama and Warren Buffet. This artwork can be seen starting now and will be up until October 16th. Using storage containers to send a small message resulted in a huge way!
