As an auction item for Clean Your Streams Day, we asked Notre Dame Academy for some help in turning a Rain Barrel into art, hoping to encourage people to see how beautiful and practical rain barrels could be. The school rose to the challenge. Maria Basista, a junior at Notre Dame was assigned the project over the summer and hand painted the Maumee River and scenic background on the Rain Barrel.  All we supplied her was a plain rain barrel, a smidge of inspiration, our logos and our desire to capture the life in & along the river. She took those logos and our mission and came up with a beautiful, functional piece of art!

Maria is from the Perrysburg area and also a rower for Notre Dame Academy, making her very familiar with the Maumee River. She sought out her father, a photographer, for additional pictures for ideas. The Rain Barrel was sold for a price we are thrilled with, helping to support our programs for clear, clean, and safe water. We are delighted and grateful for her talent, skill and desire to share the beautiful Maumee River. Perhaps her art, on an unusual medium, will inspire more budding nature artists!