The Bozeman Solid Waste District announced its first artist-in-residence program this week, inviting a local maker to work from a repurposed shipping container beside the transfer station on Huffine Lane. The position offers a modest stipend, unlimited access to the recycling stream, and a key to the gate after hours.

Diane Wheatgrass toured the site on Tuesday with program coordinator Marnie Cloutier, who previously managed the compost drop-off at the farmers market. The container smells of wet cardboard and possibility. A skylight cut into the roof frames the Bridgers.

“I’ve been sourcing materials here for years,” said sculptor Jory Templeton, 34, who was selected from twelve applicants. “People throw away perfectly good dimensional lumber. Copper wire. Ceramic tile. The waste stream is just a supply chain with a different schedule.” Templeton plans to build a series of seating elements for the landfill’s new public viewing platform, which overlooks the active cell.

The residency grew from a conversation at a City Commission meeting last winter, when Commissioner Greta Henshaw suggested the district allocate one percent of its capital budget for aesthetic improvement. The commission approved the pilot unanimously. Councilman Dave Kestrel voted yes but asked whether the art would “interfere with operations.” It will not.

Templeton’s first piece, a bench milled from pallet wood and reinforced with rebar pulled from the concrete pile, sits outside the scale house. Drivers weigh their loads, then pause to run a hand along the grain. The landfill accepts 400 tons of material daily. The bench holds three adults or two adults and a child.

The viewing platform opens next month. Interpretive signs will explain the methane capture system and the artist’s process. School groups have already booked tours.

Methane burns clean at the flare stack beside the platform. The flame is visible from I-90 on clear nights.