Boston Marathon art at 10-mile mark in Natick made from Dunkin' cups
NATICK - A Natick artist is turning trash into Boston Marathon treasure. You can find her work along the route on Monday.
Karen Connell has an insurance company that sits near the ten-mile mark of the race. During the pandemic, she started recycling Dunkin' cups, and turning them into art pieces. Between her and her coworkers, she believes the office uses 3,000 cups a year. Those have now become signs and art installations like Big Foot and the Citgo sign.
"I'm a Boston girl, so I love me my Dunkin' right? I can't live without it," laughs Connell. "It was hard to get rid of the trash. They were kicking around my house, so I started making things out of them."
Other than paint and glue, everything in her art must be recycled. On race day, her work will adorn the outside of Connell & Curley Insurance on West Central Street. Big Foot is a yearly addition. He was created because one of her coworkers needed a beacon to flag down a friend who was running in the race.
"When he entered Natick, he just looked for the Bigfoot," jokes Connell. "He will get a bib and hang out of the window. Last year he was BF1."
During the race they have a DJ playing music, and beverages for runners and fans. Some spectators even take a few selfies with her artwork.
"We get a lot of thumbs up from the runners. They like it a lot," smiles Connell.