Half a dozen trash cans along Girard Avenue now sport original paintings by local artists. More are on the way.

The "Art in the Heart of La Jolla" program, which commissions artists to paint public trash receptacles in the Village, is back after a years-long hiatus. Jade Schulz, the former La Jolla Town Council trustee who originally organized the effort about 15 years ago, revived it roughly a year and a half ago with new backing from Enhance La Jolla, the nonprofit that manages the Village's Maintenance Assessment District.

As of Monday, Aug. 24, six painted cans are complete and three more are ready for installation, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Schulz said he hopes to adorn around 20 receptacles by the end of 2026.

Artists receive $100 per piece and choose their own subject matter. Each can will feature an optional QR code linking passersby to the artist's website.

"It's great for me because they take care of all of that, and I just get to cut the panels, find the artists and paint a painting … the fun part," Schulz told the Union-Tribune.

Schulz, who owns a violin shop on Herschel Avenue, first launched the program while serving on the Town Council. The concept and name came from Rodger Heglar, a former La Jolla Art Association president and oil pastel painter. But the effort stalled after a few years when Schulz lacked help coordinating with the city of San Diego.

Enhance La Jolla now handles that coordination. District manager Brian Earley said the project carries on the organization's beautification efforts in the public right of way.

Among the artists already installed is Ann Chaitin, a 50-year La Jolla resident and former middle school art teacher at La Jolla Country Day School. Her piece, at the corner of Girard Avenue and Prospect Street, depicts Torrey pine trees on the bluff at sunset. It took two weeks to create. Chaitin learned about the revival through the La Jolla Art Association.

A piece by Seth Lutske is also installed on Girard Avenue.

Coming soon: a mosaic by Coronado-based artist Josh Ducharme, slated for Girard Avenue at Silverado Street. The piece depicts a seal biting the trash can's keyhole as if trying to open it, with a peninsula walkway in the background. Ducharme, who won first place at the 2025 La Jolla Art & Wine Festival for his piece "Honu Dreams," left a long teaching career about two years ago to pursue art full time.

Schulz is also painting a piece of his own for the program. Residents can spot the finished cans throughout the Village and watch for new installations through the end of the year.