CANstruction

Think about all the Diet Coke and beer cans we throw away each day- always thought they were useless trash, right? Wrong! Look no further than the work of local architects, designers, engineers and construction workers who are turning cans into pieces of art right here in Chicago! Not only are these cans art, they’re lifesavers, too! Who would have thought?!

CANstruction is a unique non-profit food charity that holds annual design and build competitions where teams have to construct imaginative, life-size structures entirely out of cans or canned food. By imaginative I mean, pharaoh heads, venus fly traps and even hatching raptors!

Lucky for us, this organization has made it’s way to Chicago’s Merchandise Mart! When CANstruction comes to town, thousands of hungry people are fed- After the 21 competing teams build their crazy designs and a champion is selected, all of the cans will be donated to The Greater Chicago Food Depository (I wonder how many cans it takes to make a giant pharaoh head, hmm).

The grand opening for the CANstruction competition starts tomorrow on the first floor of the Mart. Grab your friends or kids and head over to the event- who knows what weird creations there will be this year!

Admission to the exhibit is free but I suggest you check out the Awards Ceremony Gala on May 10th where an exhibit winner will be chosen by a panel of celebrity judges (including Billy!) and a great party will follow. To enter to win tickets to the Gala, click here!

– Lauren Neuschel