The Container Project was begun when Depot Street was a place to be avoided. Many buildings were abandoned and graffiti covered. People did not come down at night. Our first mural was painted on the double decker shipping containers in 2013 by local artist Melissa Terreza. Since that time 5 artists have painted six murals that aim to promote local talent and engage the community. Murals build a sense of community; they help to create a welcoming, walkable area that makes you want to go there. People stop to have their photos taken in front of the murals and they have even been the background for a local car dealership advertising campaign and wedding photos. When the “Beware of the Dog” mural was up people brought their dogs to pose before the mural and took selfies. To connect the process of muralism with art education, we invited children from the nearby Southside community to create what they would like to see on the mural. One child’s design was chosen to be painted on the containers. While the end product, the works of public art, are beautiful and engaging, their deeper value lies in the conversations they stimulate, the connections we build and the relationships we foster along the way.