BILLINGS - The Montana Meth Project's annual Paint the State art competition kicked off this month and many of the young adults and staff at Tumbleweed Runaway Program in Billings have created an artwork and entry of their own.
Because each one of the participants in the project has been impacted by meth in some way in their lives, the artwork displays what meth truly looks like through their eyes.
"For some, it's what they saw meth as, what their parents did. For others, it represents what they are doing today, and for other populations it represents where they came from," said Tumbleweed Executive Director Georgia Cady.
The statewide public art contest challenges people to create works of art that inspire drug-free lives. More than a hundred thousand dollars will be distributed to the winning participants.
Eli Lopez, 20, shared his personal connection to meth as part of the display.
"I did enjoy putting it together," he said. "It took me back to where I was a year ago because coming up this Thursday I have a year clean off everything."
His story, and many others, are accessible to the public with the click of a button.
Here is part of Eli's story from an audio recording with the art project:
"It took losing my mom and having a son to get clean, and now that I am clean I wish I could go back, and it's one of my biggest regrets in life."
For Eli, this sculpture truly represents what meth looks like to him.
"This is the reality of it. Being at one of the trap houses, this is exactly how it is," he said.
While the project represents many different stories, Cady and all of the staff at Tumbleweed are very proud of all those who contributed.
"The part that amazes me most of all is people's ability to share their story of what meth did to them," said Cady.
While the project is now complete, Tumbleweed fears not enough people will hear these stories. In order to be eligible for one of the cash prizes in the competition, the program's rules state the art must be publicly sponsored and displayed by a local business or organization.
"We have reached out to a few places, and it's understanding, they felt it was too graphic for the folks who frequent their businesses," said Cady.
According to Cady, when asked if the contributors of the project wanted to change the sculpture to make it less graphic, they turned the offer down because they believe the display truly shows what their experiences of meth have been like.
And that's why Tumbleweed is pleading for help, hoping someone will come forward. The nonprofit has until June 30 to find a business willing to sponsor the display to give the artists who created it a chance at winning.
